ORTONVILLE ? Sometimes important basketball and life lessons can be learned from difficult experiences.
Oxford boys basketball Coach Paul Marfia hopes his team learned a lesson last Friday in a 59-48 loss to Brandon.
‘Brandon came out with great emotion and we dug ourselves a hole early that we could not get out of,? Marfia said.
The Blackhawks jumped to an 8-1 lead to start the game and held a 15-8 advantage after the first eight minutes.
Marfia said his team looked flat at times in the game.
‘The effort was there at times but the results were not,? he said.
Marfia said he was pleased the way the Wildcats fought back in the fourth quarter, outscoring Brandon 17-7 in those final eight minutes.
The team shot eight for 11 from the free throw line, which was another bright spot.
‘They kept battling and played well in the last quarter,? he said.
Kevin Cramer led the Wildcats with 15 points and three assists. Mike Berling scored 10 points and Gary Wurtz had nine points and seven rebounds.
Marfia said he hoped his team would learn a lesson to keep battling and find ways to win, even when everyone isn’t at their best.
‘You can lose a game but don’t lose the lesson. We want to get better and learn every game. What we lacked in the game can be a lesson and we need to learn from it,? he said.
Oxford travels to Lapeer East on Tuesday and will host Swartz Creek on Friday.