Oak Mountain improves to 2-0 in area play with top-10 win against Hoover
Published 12:08 pm Wednesday, January 12, 2022
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By ALEC ETHEREDGE | Managing Editor
NORTH SHELBY – With their starters forced to play the majority of a top-10 battle with Hoover and down starting guard Evan Smith, the Oak Mountain Eagles never panicked.
Comfortable with a lineup that has had plenty of minutes this season, the No. 4 Eagles got double digits from four different players and intense effort from each on both ends of the floor to down No. 8 Hoover 53-46.
Early in the game, the Eagles faced a deficit after Hoover put together a 13-point opening quarter behind four made jumpers, a 3-pointer and a 2-2 mark from the free throw line.
Oak Mountain added three jumpers and a 3-pointer itself, but that wasn’t enough to avoid a four-point deficit at the end of the opening quarter.
The Eagles, however, used adjustments to make the difference over the next two quarters.
It started in the second quarter with the offense finding a rhythm.
Brady Dunn gave the team a big boost with a 3-pointer and two additional field goals, while Ryan Giegel and Ean Gove each hit a shot from beyond the arc as well.
That was part of a 19-point effort from the Eagles, while Hoover had another solid quarter, but only posted 15, leading to a 28-28 tie at the half.
The next big adjustment for Oak Mountain came out of the half with the Eagles’ defense taking over.
Hoover struggled to find much room or consistency, making just two field goals and scoring five points in the quarter.
That allowed the Eagles to jump in front as Dunn and Matthew Heiberger each had four points in the quarter to play a part in nine for the team.
Now up 37-33, Evers and Giegel stepped up in the clutch, each putting together their best quarter of the game in the final period to help Oak Mountain close out the win.
Evers totaled seven points, including a momentum-boosting and-1, while Giegel scored four to help Oak Mountain post 16 points in the period and cement the 53-46 victory.
Heiberger led Oak Mountain with 12 points after scoring at least two in every quarter. He also fininshed with a double-double thanks to 10 rebounds.
The Eagles also got 11 points each from Dunn, Evers and Giegel in a team effort.
Oak Mountain improved to 18-3 overall and 2-0 in area play with the win.