Oak Hall Starts Season Strong, Defeats Gainesville Christian

Expectations were high coming into the season for the Oak Hall men’s varsity basketball team. Led by senior guards Matthew McKinney and Andrew Pickens, the Eagles have their sights set on a deep postseason run.  Fortunately, in game one of the season, the team lived up to their hype and dominated Gainesville Christian Community High School, winning by a score of 72-19.

Three-Point Barrage

The Eagles stormed out of the gates early fueled by shots from beyond the arc.  In the first quarter alone, Oak Hall hit five threes. Specifically, Pickens nailed two, freshman forward Andrew Powel had two of his own, and Mckinney dropped in the last.  After the game, when asked how it felt to come out shooting so well, Pickens said, “It felt really good.  I came out, Matthew McKinney came out and we were both shooting the ball really well.  Andrew Powel, his first game…he played extremely well”. 

As a result of their early shooting, the Eagles ended the first quarter up 20-10 and remained in control the rest of the way.

Oak Hall remains in control and ends the first quarter leading 20-10. Senior Guard Andrew Pickens is leading the team with great shooting and high energy offense. @OakHallSchool

— William Silverman (@PhillySilverman) December 2, 2020

Perfect Close to the First Half

After starting the game so strong, the Eagles displayed their class and closed the first half in dominant fashion.  With 3:30 remaining in the second quarter, Oak Hall was leading 32-15 and threatening to bust the game open.  They then proceeded to do just that and closed the half on a 9-0 run putting them up 41-15 at the break.  From then on, the Eagles were able to coast to victory, with a majority of their underclassmen seeing increased minutes in half two.

Oak Hall closes the half on a tear and now leads 41-15 at halftime. The Eagles started the game hot from behind the arc and have remained scorching throughout. @ESPNGainesville @athletics_hall @ThePrepZone

— William Silverman (@PhillySilverman) December 2, 2020

Freshman Stepping Up

Despite having a plethora of upperclassmen on their roster, Oak Hall’s freshmen newcomers stepped up and made an impact in game one.  At the forefront, Powel was the game’s leading scorer pouring in a smooth 17 points.  If Powel can maintain that level of production moving forward, the Eagles will be tough to stop.  Add Pickens and McKinney into the fold, and Oak Hall is poised for a run to the playoffs. 

Coming Up

On December 4th, Oak Hall hits the road and travels to face the Bronson Eagles.  Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.