Spring Weather is Heating Up... So Are the Orioles

Spring Weather is Heating Up... So Are the Orioles

          Situation: 14.4 seconds left, Collin McEntee at the free throw line with the score 54-52 and Lennox leading. First free throw goes through the net to make the score 55-52 and almost guarantee a win or overtime. Timeout by the Orioles. Second free throw off the rim and no good. Back in transition, Elk Point called a timeout and that left 10.0 seconds. Then with 7 seconds left, Tyler Leisinger deflected the ball and Oldenkamp almost got a steal. That left 5 seconds left. Jacob Herrity, the Senior guard wearing number 0 during the game pulled up a three shot with the buzzer sounding and he airballed to make the score 55-52. If you read my last article, I predicted Lennox to win 56-52 so it was a very close guess.

          This win sends the Lennox Orioles to the Region 4A Championship which is to be played on March 10th at 7:00 in Harrisburg. But how did Lennox pull off the win and what happened in the rest of the game to make this such a good game. In the first quarter, Lennox started with the opening basket by Collin McEntee. However, Schuh's two pointer and Brandon Koupal having a three and a two made the score 7 to 2 EPJ. Through the first 3 and a half minutes, EPJ went on a 14 to 5 run. Raabe and Oldenkamp each made two pointers and that made it 14 to 9. In the last 3 minutes, EPJ outscored Lennox 4 to 3 and was leading 18 to 12 after one.

          In the second, EPJ's defense continued and led to a big lead for EPJ. Brandon Koupal would make a three pointer to start and Timmerman a minute later answered with a two. After a foul on Jacob Herrity of EPJ, Lennox's Creighton Raabe hit a three to make it 22 to 17 EPJ with 4 minutes and 30 seconds left. Then the Huskies caught fire. EPJ held Lennox to 0 in the last 4 minutes and they scored 8 points to make the score 30 to 17 at halftime.

          The halftime talk would have to be huge or the Oriole's dream of making state would be dead. I asked Coach McVey what happened at the halftime talk. He replied with, "I found out that the Captains did a great job getting everyone fired up in the locker room before the coaching staff ever got in there.  We have outstanding player leadership this year.  These young men are very self-disciplined and respect each other.  We just talked about how hard we needed to work and how much poise we would need to have down the stretch.  We don't really talk about the scoreboard too much.  We talk a lot about taking things one possession at a time, in order to come back we just needed a stop and a score (and repeat that several times)." It was a good answer the answer that the Orioles had was literally unbelievable.

          Down 30 to 17 and 16 minutes away from ending their season, the Orioles started the third with a Nathan Timmerman steal and then a Nathan Timmerman 3 pointer to make it 30 to 20. After a turnover airball shot by Brandon Koupal, Jacob Hinker missed a lay-up which on the rebound was tipped in by EPJ's Michael Murphy to make it 30 to 22. He attempted to tip it away from Oldenkamp but he tipped it in the hoop. The points were given to Oldenkamp however. Then a missed shot by EPJ led to a missed three from McEntee. However, Hinker earned an offensive rebound and got fouled and shot two free throws. After making both free throws, Hinker stole the ball and passed it to Oldenkamp for the transition layup and an EPJ timeout was called with the score 30 to 26. Koupal's missed three led to Raabe long rebound. However, Raabe turned it over and EPJ took off in transition. Herrity missed a tough layup and Hinker earned a rebound and back in transition came the Orioles. Raabe's assist led to a two pointer from Timmerman and it was now 30 to 28. A steal by Hinker and assist led to Oldenkamp's layup to make it 30 to 30 and Lennox was on a 13 to 0 run to start the third. With 3:40 remaining in the third, Brandon Koupal daggered home a three and made it 33 to 30 EPJ. After Leisinger made 1 of 2 free throws, Koupal nailed another three to make it 36 to 31 and end the run at 14 to 5. The Huskies would ease the pain as they scored 7 in the last 2 minutes to Lennox's 5. It was now 43 to 36 after 3 and Lennox was back in it.

          In the fourth, a two was made by Aaron Koupal and then Lennox went on a 10 to 4 run in the first 5 minutes to make the score 49 to 46. With 3 minutes left, Elk Point got a and one to make it 52 to 46. Then Hinker's layup brought it to a 4 point game. After a timeout by Lennox and a steal by Leisinger, Hinker was fouled and made both free throws and it was now 52 to 50. Oldenkamp's assist led to Hinker's layup and the score to be tied again at 52 to 52. With the crowd roaring, Brandon Koupal missed a layup and Hinker rebounded and threw a pass to Oldenkamp. Oldenkamp then performed a sick Euro Step move to make a layup and take the first lead since 2 to 0 in the first. It was 54 to 52 and the crowd screamed and yelled as Lennox had 1 minute and 16 seconds until a win. After EPJ's timeout, Michael Murphy missed a long three with the shot clock ringing. Brandon Koupal would foul Collin McEntee with 14.4 seconds to go. That is where the top of the article came into play.

          It was a great game and Lennox showed their poise and collection in order to win. I asked Coach Paul McVey how proud he was to have a team work so hard to come back. He replied with "we are very proud of this team. Even if we did not win, we would still be proud.  These guys show up to practice and games every day and work hard with enthusiasm.   They have figured out how to make hard work fun.  They have done so much for each other and for the community this year.  These Orioles truly represent what Lennox, Worthing, and Chancellor are all about.  They are becoming better people through being on a basketball team and that will translate well to when they are husbands, fathers, and leaders in their vocations.  These guys have always handled defeat and victory very well because they focus on the process of improvement." I thanked coach and headed off.

          After a great game like this one, how can you miss the Region 4A Championship tomorrow at 7:00. I will have a pregame article coming out tomorrow afternoon to help give you the full set up of tomorrow’s game. This is posted on Facebook and Twitter and any comments which are positive will be greatly appreciated.

Have a good day and Go Orioles.

Written and Published by:

Grant Sweeter

Senior Lennox High School

Manager- Lennox Boys Basketball