The Varsity Girls Basketball team gave the home crowd something to cheer about after their 49-32 victory over Lapeer West at Winterfest on Friday, Feb. 5.
Oxford jumped out to a 16-8 lead after the first quarter and never took their foot off the gas pedal. They extended their lead to 26-13 by halftime thanks to their constant defensive pressure. Coming out of halftime the girls pulled away further from West, extending the lead to 19 points by the time the third quarter ended, 44-25.
Head Coach Al Poynter was thrilled with his team’s effort. ‘Tonight was a great way to bounce back from our loss on Tuesday. We played a great game defensively and had good balance offensively,? he said.?
Junior Mikaela Parrish led the Wildcats with 14 points and Allie Laidlaw chipped in with 13 points. Senior Emily Brooks finished the game with seven assists.
The victory was a complete role reversial from the Feb. 2 game against Fenton. The Wildcats lost 51-41, ending the four-game winning streak they had going into the game.
Fenton was able to put the game out of reach in the second and third quarters, outscoring the Wildcats 25-12 over the two quarters. The Wildcats kept it close after the first quarter, only trailing by two points 14-12.
After that, Fenton’s top two scorers, Gabrielle Rivette and Molly Varner took over. Rivette finished with 22 points and Varner added 17.
‘We did some good things tonight and got off to a fast start,? said Poynter. He credited Fenton for getting the ball to their top scorers.
‘We struggled to keep them in check over the final three quarters,? he added. ‘It’s a game that will serve us well from a learning standpoint.
The Wildcats were lead by Brooks 10 points and Parrsh’s seven points and 10 rebounds.
Oxford is currently 7-8 overall and 7-6 in the Flint Metro League after winning five out of their last six games. They are at home against Lapeer East on Tuesday, Feb. 9 and at Brandon on Friday, Feb. 12.