OLG 43, HOLY SPIRIT 36

What should have been an easy tune-up in the final game of the regular season turned into a barnburner that saw the 4A OLG Saints hang on for a 43-36 win over the 0-10 squad from Holy Spirit. While the offense was firing on all cylinders, the defense clearly struggled to contain an overmatched opponent. Tyler L. led a balanced scoring attack with 10 points, while Wayne R. added 9 and Hekili J. and Nick B. each chipped in 8. With the victory, OLG finishes the regular season 7-3 and tied for 2nd place with St. Joe's of Fremont. For the season, OLG has a record of 10-5. The next stop is the playoffs in what has been a very successful opening season for the Saints' squad.

SCORING TOTALS

Tyler L. - 10
Wayne R. - 9
Nick B. - 8
Hekili J. - 8
Conner G. - 4
Brandon J. - 2
Azaria A. - 2

OLG 30, CORPUS CHRISTI 12

With a playoff berth secured, OLG was finally able to play a relaxed game in a new setting of Alvarado Middle School against the Corpus Christi Cougars. After a shakeup, of the starting lineup, the Saints opened the game strong with a 10-0 first quarter, and an 18-3 halftime lead. A slow thirs quarter allowed the Couagars to claw back to a 20-12 deficit, but a late Saint surge of 10 points over the last three minutes ended the game for a 30-12 final. Overall, this was a great team effort that saw 8 different Saints score buckets, led by Hekili J. with 8, while Tyler L. and Nick B. each chipped in 6. With the victory, OLG moves to 6-3 in league play and 9-5 overall. Only one more regular season game against Holy Spirit, before the Saints open the playoffs. For complete standings and league info, please visit http://mvalbbcyo.leaguecentral.info/Team/6477.

SCORING TOTALS

Hekil J. - 8
Nick B. - 6
Tyler L. - 6
Azaria A. - 2
Conner G. - 2
Brandon J. - 2
Chris P. - 2
Wayne R. - 2

OLG 33, OLR 30

This was a big game for the Saints as a playoff spot hung in the balance. With a win, the Saints would advance to the Mission Valley playoffs, while a OLR win would keep them mathmatically alive for a playoff berth. As expected, this was a hard fought game on both ends, but OLG survived a late OLR rally and hung on in Overtime for a dramatic 33-30 win. Hekili J. proved the difference as he led all scorers with 14 points, and scored the two key buckets in OT to ensure the victory. Wayne R. was also strong with a season-best 9 points, while Tyler L. scored 6 despite fouling out in the 4th quarter. After a back and forth first half that saw the Saints build a 12-8 lead, the team surged out in the 3rd quarter to an 18-8 advantage. OLR would not go down without a fight though and came roaring back in the 4th quarter to tie the game at 28-28 with Tyler out and Hekili on the bench with four fouls. In OT, OLR took their first lead at 30-28 with one minute remaining, but a Chris P. free throw cut in to 30-29. With approximately 35 seconds remaining, Jacob B grabbed a huge rebound and connected with Hekili J for the go-ahead bucket. OLG survived four straight missed free throws by OLR and then got some insurance points when Chris P. found Hekili in transition for a 33-30 lead. With the win, OLG moved to 5-3 in league play and 8-5 overall.

SCORING TOTALS

Hekili J. - 14
Wayne R. - 9
Tyler L. - 6
Azaria A. - 3
Chris P. - 1

ST. EDWARDS 35, OLG 19

Playing the undefeated, first-place St. Edwards squad is daunting in itself, but playing without a key player in Hekili made it even tougher. Still, the Saints came to play this time out. After falling behind 18-1, the Saints methodically began to chip away at the deficit behind the spectacular outside shooting of Tyler L. who nailed four baskets from behind the three-point line. He finished the day with 11 points to lead all Saint players. OLG rallied back to within 21-15, but ran out of gas down the stretch before they could score an improbable upset. Jacob B proved to be a force on the boards and Wayne R. added 6 points and a number of key steals. Overall, it was a gritty team effort from the Saints who fall to 4-3 and head into a key weekend that will see them play two important games as they battle for a position in the playoffs. It will be fun!

SCORING TOTALS

Tyler L. - 11
Wayne R. - 6
Chris P. - 2

OLG 23, CORPUS CHRISTI 8

After a two week break, OLG returned to action with a matchup against Corpus Christi of Fremont. Given the layoff, it was no surpise that the game started slow and after three minutes, the game was knotted at 2-2. After a bucket by Hekili J. and two free throws from Azaria A., the Saints finished the opening quarter with a 6-2 lead. The team really made a surger in the opening minutes of the second half, where they outscored their opponents 7-0, led by Tyler L's five points. The team finished the half with a 15-4 advantage. In the second half, the team continued to use the fast break to get easy looks as Wayne R. had a couple of buckets and assists. Jacob B. also had a strong game with numerous rebounds. The final score was 23-8 and lifted the Saints to a 4-2 league record and a 7-4 overall mark. The win sets up a rematch with the undefeated St. Edwards of Newark in one week.

SCORING TOTALS:

Tyler L. - 9
Azaria A. - 4
Chris P. - 4
Wayne R. - 4
Hekili J. - 2

OLG 32, OLR 26

Coming off a disheartening loss to St. Josephs, the 4A OLG Saints rebounded with a tremendous win over OLR by a score of 32-26. The Saints were led by a sensational all-around effort from Hekili J. who scored 16 points and was a force on both ends of the court. He also received some help from Tyler L, Conner G, and Azaria A who each scored 4 points each. Overall it was a terrific team effort in a physical game that saw the team move to 3-2 in league play and 6-4 overall, while OLR dropped to 2-3.

Have a great Christmas and New Year's!

SCORING TOTALS:

Hekili J - 16
Azaria A - 4
Conner G - 4
Tyler L - 4
Brandon J - 2
Wayne R - 2

ST. JOSEPH'S 30, OLG 28

In what may prove to be a costly loss down the stretch, OLG fell in OT to St. Joseph's 30-28. The loss was agonizing for the fact that OLG led 22-15 through three quarters and seemed to be in total command. However, some critical turnovers, poor shot selection and important missed calls by both refs paved the way for the improbable collapse. No matter, the Saints playing short-handed fought hard from the opening tip to the final buzzer and will certainly rebound from this defeat. Hekili J. led all scorers with 7 points, while Chris P. added 6. With the loss, OLG falls to 2-2 in league play and 5-4 overall, while St. Joseph's moves to 3-0.

SCORING TOTALS

Hekili J - 8
Chris P - 6
Tyler L - 4
Wayne R - 4
Azaria A - 2
Conner G - 2
Brandon J - 2