By Andrew Moser
Leader Intern
On Saturday, Jan 10, the Oxford Wildcats Girls Varsity Basketball team had their best outing of the season, defeating Lapeer West 41-30 in a December makeup game.
‘We played our best all-around game of the season today (v. West).? It was a great way to bounce back from our tough loss to Brandon on Friday, and I am very proud of our team for stepping up in a difficult situation.
Joelle Harms bounced back from a rough game against Brandon in which she suffered a bone bruise on her knee and had to leave the game late in the fourth. She finished with eight points, six rebounds, and three blocks. Allie Laidlaw led the team with 17 points, and Cassi Archer had seven points.
After a week of exciting comebacks and disappointments, the Wildcats find themselves in first place in the Flint Metro League standings at 4-1, 4-3 overall.
On Friday, Jan 9, the Lady Wildcats let a solid defensive effort go to waste in a 39-34 loss at Brandon. Missed Free throws and lay-ups, along with a lack of urgency on the offensive end were the contributing factors in the loss. The Wildcats shot 12-24 from the free throw line, while also missing numerous lay-ups and open jump shots.
The Wildcats were up by two at the half, but missed several free throws and lay-ups in the third quarter to give Brandon the lead. But, as time expired in the third, Oxford’s Senior guard Cassi Archer hit a three pointer, pulling Oxford within one, 26-25.
Oxford finally picked up the intensity with two minutes left in the game. Their defensive full court pressure, effective ball movement and trips to the free throw line were impressive, but they couldn’t convert on those opportunities.
‘We need to learn to play 30 minutes of basketball, not just 10, 15 minutes,? said Oxford Coach Al Poynter, talking about starting the game with a sense of urgency. ‘Brandon played well. They had good man to man defense, but our offense wasn’t very good either.? Senior Jessica Raisch led the team with nine points, while Archer added eight points.
Last Tuesday, the Lady Wildcats flexed their muscles against Fenton, snatching victory away from the jaws of defeat with a 20-point comeback overtime thriller, winning 56-50.
‘This is one of the biggest comebacks in program history, and certainly the biggest one (in my four years) since I have been here,? Oxford Coach Al Poynter said.
With the victory, Oxford moves into sole possession of first place with a 3-0 record in Flint Metro League play, and is 3-2 overall.
Leading the second-half charge was Oxford’s Senior Joelle Harms, finishing with 21 points and eight rebounds.
Trailing 20-6 after the first quarter, the Wildcats scratched and fought their way back into the game, holding Fenton to 15 second-half points. They took their first lead of the game in overtime after tying the game at 44 at the end of regulation.
‘We really got after Fenton defensively in the 2nd half and overtime, holding them to just 15 points.? While we had a poor 1st half, I am very proud of our team for hanging in there and making a tremendous comeback against a very good team,? said Coach Poynter. Junior guard Allie Laidlaw scored nine points and Senior guard Brooke Bocquet contributed seven points, seven assists, and four steals.
The Wildcats have home games against Lapeer East and Swartz Creek this week.