Oak Hall Pulls Away from Lafayette

The Oak Hall boys basketball team defeated the Lafayette Hornets 51-30 on Tuesday night to move to 2-0.

Drudging Start

Oak Hall took a 2-0 lead when guard Jackson Beach drove for a challenged layup.

The visiting Hornets responded, but Oak Hall went on a 12-0 run that featured the Eagles getting to the hoop at will. Jackson Beach added an four points to his total during this run.

Capitalizing on going to the free-throw line twice, Lafayette (0-1) brought the score to 14-5 to finish the first quarter.

The second quarter saw 12 points scored. With three trips to the foul line, along with consecutive layups from Jackson Beach and Eagles forward Miles Sims, the score was 18-7 with a minute left before halftime.

That’s when Oak Hall forward Andrew Powell drained a three to push the lead to 21-8. The Hornets responded with a layup, making the game 21-10 entering the break.

Offensive Explosion

In the third quarter, Oak Hall almost matched its first-half point total, putting up 19.

The scoring began with a continued back-and-forth between the Eagles and Lafayette that included two threes from Powell.

With a lead of 28-18, Oak Hall then went on a 9-2 run that included two steals and a trip to the free throw line. The quarter ended with a three from guard Harrison Beach, giving Oak Hall a commanding 40-23 lead.

Oak Hall began the fourth quarter with another three from Harrison Beach and a layup from forward Gavin Jones. The rest of the quarter saw the Eagles control the pace of play and run the game out.

The Eagles spread the ball around much better in the second half, often creating open shots around the perimeter or pick-in-roll opportunities. This was something coach Monte Towe was heard emphasizing in the huddle.

Looking Forward

Oak Hall faces Saint Francis Catholic (2-0) at home Friday at 7 p.m. Lafayette will entertain Riverside Christian at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.