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Solid shooting clip lifts Oran past Chaffee in Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament
SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- Not snow, ice or nearly a full day's wait cooled down Oran.
The Scott-Mississippi Conference Tournament's fourth seed turned in another stellar shooting night during a recent string of such on Wednesday in their first round game against Chaffee in Scott City, Mo., taking down the Red Devils 57-33.
Wednesday's matchup, originally scheduled for Tuesday, came a day later after it was postponed due to inclement weather moving into the area.
The Eagles shot 51 percent (24 of 47) from the floor including 4 of 10 from 3-point range. Take away a fourth quarter where they shot 4 of 12 with a solid lead in hand, and Oran neared a 60 percent clip through the first three frames.
"Knock on wood, we've shot the ball better," Oran coach Joe Shoemaker said, while reaching for the nearest wooden door to tap. "We're taking better shots because we're moving the ball offensively, which leads to better looks for us and we're starting to knock them down."
Three of Oran's four scorers reached double figures with Max Priggel leading the way with 18 points and seven rebounds on 9 of 10 shooting which included 3 of 4 from downtown. Jacob Shoemaker added 17 points on 7 of 12 shooting while Layne Johnson and Garrison Mangels chipped in 10 and eight, respectively.
Oran's shooting success stemmed from controlling the game's pace and limiting their turnovers to nine. This is Oran's second win over Chaffee and first since the consolation championship game during the Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament Dec. 30.
"We dictated tempo a little bit better than the first time and we hit more shots," Shoemaker said. "We did a little better job of getting into some rhythm and getting out and going a little bit."
Though they finished strong, Oran (10-7) didn't grab a sudden advantage and run away with the lead. Chaffee, who's struggled offensively for most of the season, hung tough in a first quarter that featured four lead changes and three ties in the last 3:28.
Shoemaker tied the game at 16-all with a bucket at the 55 second mark until Priggel answered an empty trip by the Red Devils with a three to give Oran a 19-16 advantage going into the second quarter.
From there, that's when Chaffee's offensive woes reared its head.
The Red Devils, who average 40 points per game and have hit over 50 points just three times this season, were held to four combined points in the second and third quarters while shooting a combined 2 for 19. Meanwhile, Oran raced ahead by 26 by the end of the third period thanks in large part to Chaffee's lowly shooting and 14 turnovers during that same stretch.
"We've struggled all year long to score," Chaffee coach Josh Govreau said. "They came out and hit shots and we responded in the first quarter and were able to score 16 points in the quarter. Once they went on a run I didn't feel like we fought back. I told our kids that we took a punch in the mouth and let the game get out of reach."
Chaffee freshman Landon Tenkhoff kept the Red Devils afloat early on. Tenkhoff, who led Chaffee with 13 points, scored 10 in the first quarter hitting all four of his shots from the field. But soon after, Oran ran Tenkhoff away from the basket with bodies like Garrison Mangels and Blake Schlitt which limited Tenkhoff's touches and production.
"He's done a lot better since the start of the season and has really started playing well the last few games," Govreau said. "He came out and hit some shots early, but then he started missing some shots got down on himself and really took himself out of the game, I thought, for a few quarters. We have to have his presence in there even if he's not scoring. He kind of backed off a little bit, but he's just a freshman and I think he'll learn from that and respond in our next game I'm sure."
Chaffee (3-13) received seven points and a game-high 11 rebounds from Jordan Wilburn. Alec Bogenpohl added seven points as well.
Chaffee won the rebounding battle 33-25 but lost the turnover margin 21-9.
The win moves Oran into the tournament semifinals where they'll play top-seeded Scott County Central tonight at 6:30 p.m. The Eagles lost to Scott Central 58-49 during the semifinals of the Oran Invitational Tournament Dec. 3. The Braves have won eight tournament titles in the last nine years with their only championship loss coming from Oran in 2013.
"They're the best until someone knocks them off that totem poll," Shoemaker said. "We'll have our work cut out for us but hopefully we'll come out, work hard and see what we got."
| Chaffee | 16 | 2 | 2 | 13 | -- | 33 |
| Oran | 19 | 10 | 17 | 11 | -- | 57 |
CHAFFEE (33) -- Gabe Henson 3, Ryan Holderfield 1, Jordan Wilburn 7, Gage McMullin 2, Landon Tenkhoff 13, Alec Bogenpohl 7. FG 12 FT 8-14 F 15. (3-pointers: Henson 1. Fouled out: none.)
ORAN (57) -- Jacob Shoemaker 17, Max Priggel 18, Layne Johnson 10, Garrison Mangels 8. FG 24 FT 5-12 F 15. (3-pointers: Shoemaker 1, Priggel 3. Fouled out: none.)