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Oak Ridge splits pair at Conroe Tourney

By: Doug Sarant, Special to WOL Sports
| Published 12/27/2013

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CONROE, Texas - The Oak Ridge High School boys’ basketball team split a pair of opening round games at the 49th Annual Conroe Christmas Classic on Friday. The War Eagles play the winner of the Huntsville/Pasadena Memorial game in the semifinals of the consolation bracket at 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

Game one Friday saw the War Eagles fall into the loser’s bracket with a loss to a strong Dekaney team, 79-63. The nightcap turned out much better for Oak Ridge as they dominated Crosby, 62-45.

In the early game, Oak Ridge (12-6, 0-2) took a 22-17 lead over Dekaney after a quarter of play behind the hot shooting of Tanner Doyel and Josh Caldwell. However, the eventual victors came out of hibernation in the second quarter outscoring Oak Ridge by 18 points, taking a 48-35 lead into the locker room at halftime.

Dekaney's Joseph Kilgore and Thomas Tolbert went off for 24 and 18 points in order.

Doyel led the Oak Ridge scoring with 21 and Caldwell followed with 17. Josh Myers and Cameron Prejean each had nine and Adam Libby rounded out the War Eagle scoring leaders with four.

Oak Ridge came out loaded for bear against Crosby (7-9) as they took the lead early and were never behind. James Buck rattled off four straight points to put the War Eagles up, 14-6.

Myers sank a 3-ball and Caldwell hit two deuces in succession followed by a Doyel lay-up and Oak Ridge was up 25-15 in the second quarter. Trumaine Jefferson hit a 3 and Doyel intercepted the ensuing inbounds pass followed by his patented no look behind the back bounce pass to Jefferson and Oak Ridge was off to the races. A Doyel layup put Oak Ridge up, 38-24, at the half.

Myers finished with 18 points. James Buck had 11 and Caldwell 10. Doyel directed traffic brilliantly for Oak Ridge as he finished with six points, eight assists and threw in four steals for good measure.

Oak Ridge coach Joe Price liked what he saw in the day's action.

"We're 12-6 right now and it seems like we play with our competition,” Price said. “Now, that can be a good thing if you're playing a good team but if you are playing a bad team, it's not so good.

"Tanner Doyel's leadership is good having played varsity for four years and making all district two years in a row. He can help us be consistent.

“I told Josh Myers I would not take you out if you miss four in a row. Now, five and I'd take you out but not after four. I've never seen him miss four in a row though.

“We'll see how district goes. It's a tough district and we've got to win 7-8 games to make it. We just have to get on a roll."

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