Boys Basketball: Injuries can’t slow Oswego vs rival Oswego East

Updated: January 31, 2012 9:57PM

They may have been short-handed, but you wouldn’t have known it.

With starters Thomas Wilder and Ryan West both sidelined with hamstring injuries, visiting Oswego still got double-figure scoring from four players, led by as many as 19 points and held off crosstown rival Oswego East 72-63 Tuesday in Southwest Prairie Conference play.

“Balanced basketball is beautiful basketball, proof of unselfishness,” said Oswego coach Kevin Schnable, whose team climbs to 10-9 and 4-4. “I don’t know who that team was, but I like it.”

His Panthers had two first-half runs to claim a 31-18 lead at intermission. The visitors broke from a 6-6 tie and closed the opening quarter with a 9-0 run and then got an 8-0 run — all from guard Miles Simelton — midway through the second period.

Simelton would finish with a game-high 24 points. His running mate, Elliot McGaughy, added 17. Danny Mangers had 11 points and Darion Reddick came off the bench to chip in 14 points (eight rebounds).

“Their guards were better than our guards and we turned it over too many times (nine) in the first half,” said Oswego East coach Jason Buckley, whose team fell to 10-9 and 3-5. “We got down and then we were in chase mode all night.”

Oswego’s biggest lead of the night was 46-27 with 1:28 left in the third when McGaughy made a step back three-pointer.

“We still had an opportunity, though,” noted Buckley, pointing to his team’s 8-0 run to open the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to 46-37.

“We make a three then get a three-point play and cut it to nine, but they come down and (Mangers) makes a three to push it back up to 12.”

It was too little, too late for the host Wolves, who shot 24 percent (9-for-37) through three quarters before hitting 10-of-16 in the final period. Junior guard C.J. Vaughan led them with 21 points, 18 of them in the fourth period.

Nick Marema and Kalmon Stokes chipped in 13 each.

“The biggest thing was we didn’t create any offense with our defense, man or zone,” said Buckley. “That’s been lacking of late. Now, that being said, you’re not gonna do it much against these guys because their guards are so good.”

Oswego has been without Jamal Richardson (shoulder surgery) all season and lost starter Jack Kwiatkowski (knee) for a stretch at midseason, too. Nearly back to normal, though, is Schnable.

The Oswego coach tore his Achilles tendon playing pickup basketball at the school in the early fall and noted, “Today was the first time since Sept. 13th I was able to drive myself to work.”

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