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Boys Basketball: Oswego’s defense too tough for Oswego East
| Corey R. Minkanic~For Sun-Times Media
Updated: December 10, 2011 12:11AM
Riding a three-game losing streak, Oswego was in need of a new approach going into Friday’s Southwest Prairie Conference showdown with Oswego East.
The Panthers’ defensive effort provided that attitude adjustment.
Playing what coach Kevin Schnable called “our best defensive effort of the season,” the Panthers earned a 61-53 win in front of a capacity crowd.
“The expectations [this season] were high and we were on a three-game skid,” Schnable said. “We had to try to get our minds right and our hearts back into this. Everybody says this is an easy game to get up for, and they’re right, but it’s a hard game for kids to play. I thought our kids did a great job of handling themselves.”
An 8-0 run in the second quarter helped Oswego (3-3, 1-1) take a 29-19 lead at the break. Oswego East (3-3, 0-2) cut it to 31-27 with 5:15 left in the third, but an 8-2 Panthers run stretched the lead back to 10.
Oswego East turned the ball over 23 times.
“It’s one thing to turn the ball over,” Oswego East coach Jason Buckley said. “It’s another thing to turn the ball over and directly lead to points on the other end. That was the difference.”
Oswego East star guard CJ Vaughan had a rough night, as well. He scored only six points on 2-for-13 shooting with Oswego’s Miles Simelton chasing him around all night.
Simelton led the Panthers with 20 points. Elliot McGaughy added 19 points and Ryan West had 11 points and 14 rebounds.
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