UPDATED: Oak Ridge works OT to upset Westfield

UPDATE: Oak Ridge faces Austin Bowie in an area round playoff game at 8 p.m. Friday at Bryan High School.

SPRING, Texas - Trumaine Jefferson and the District 14-5A proud Oak Ridge War Eagles basketball team upset the heavily-favored and No. 17 state-ranked Westfield Mustangs (26-7) in a thriller played at Klein Collins High School Tuesday night, 56-55 in overtime.

Jefferson led the War Eagles in scoring once again tallying 16 points and single-handedly brought Oak Ridge (20-12) back from large deficits in each half keeping his team within striking distance.

"Trumaine has been playing very well and plays with a whole lot of energy and confidence," Oak Ridge coach Joe Price said.

Area media outlets had the highly touted Mustangs making a serious run for the big UIL prize with the talented Marquise Hamilton leading the way but someone forgot to tell the proud District 14-5A third-place finishing Oak Ridge War Eagles.

In addition, most pre-playoff prognosticators had District 13-5A running the table on the four underrated 14-5A playoff representatives. For now, with Oak Ridge's version of David vs Goliath and College Park taking care of business by defeating Kingwood 43-37, it's a wash at 2 to 2.

The Mustangs came out as expected to most onlookers in taking a 16-8 lead after the first stanza with Hamilton pouring in 11 of Westfield's points. The second quarter wasn't looking any better for the War Eagles as a Chad Owens thunder dunk had Westfield extending their lead to 12 points.

Enter Part 1 of Jefferson's heroics as he rained back to back-to-back 3-balls and Westfield's lead dwindled down to two points as both teams headed to their respective locker rooms for intermission.

In the second half, Westfield was able to break away again separating themselves from the game War Eagles but Part 2 of the Trumaine Jefferson show began as he pulled Oak Ridge to within reach yet again. By third quarter's end, Oak Ridge had tied things up at 39.

The two teams were able to score seven points on each other in the fourth quarter and they headed into overtime.

It was nip and tuck for the duration of overtime when with 14 seconds remaining, Price called a play designed for Tanner Doyel; who tied the game on a lay-up and was fouled on the play. It would be Doyel's turn yet again to be the hero and with ice in his veins completed the old fashioned three-point play and the underdog's led by a point.

Westfield would have four more chances, to include a missed shot, another missed shot and two free throws as Oak Ridge was called for a foul resulting in two free throws in the final seconds of the game.

But, it was not to be for Westfield as Owens missed both free throws and Oak Ridge had exacted revenge from last year's bi-district playoff loss, and for its football team that had taken it on the chin from Westfield in the first round of the UIL football playoffs.

Free throws were Westfield's undoing as they hit a Shaq-like 30 percent from the charity stripe on 8-26 shooting.

"I don't think our team is just happy to be in the playoffs." Oak Ridge head boys' basketball coach Joe Price said, "We want to make a run at it and just have to go out and play."

Assistant coach Jared Hunt was ecstatic and summed up the War Eagles blue-collar effort.

"The kids played hard and never gave up."

Doyel, Cameron Prejean and Josh Caldwell contributed 12, 11 and 11 points in order.

For Westfield, Hamilton took gym scoring honors with 21. Deion Sidney and Jared Richardson had 12 and 11 respectively.

The last time Oak Ridge made a serious run was in 2010 as the popular former coach, Rob Stewart, led his troops to the fourth round.