By Sam Parsons
Osky basketball was in action with a pair of girls and boys doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday. The Indians faced stiff competition: Dallas Center-Grimes came to town on Friday with the #2 ranked girls team in the state and the defending state champion boys team, while Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont’s teams each boasted undefeated records.
The girls’ game against DCG saw the Indians hold their own for long stretches of time against the #2 team in the state. Osky trailed by just 1 after the conclusion of the first quarter and the score was 35-28 at half. DCG used overwhelming defense and quick passing to keep the Indians on their heels, but nonetheless a good shooting effort from Lydia Van Veldhuizen kept the Indians hanging with the Mustangs.
Unfortunately, the Indian offense unraveled in the third quarter. The Mustangs held the Indians to just 2 points in the frame and scored 13 of their own, and from there, they coasted to the finish line and secured a 64-42 victory. Despite the cold stretch in the third quarter, Osky battled with DCG in the other 3 frames and played their closest game against DCG since at least the 2013 season.
The boys game saw a similar story play out, but with a few new wrinkles. Osky startled DCG out of the gates by taking a 16-11 lead after the first quarter, but their cold quarter would come in the 2nd. DCG outscored Osky 22-3 in the second quarter to make the score 33-19 at half. The Indians would show quite a bit of life in the second half against the defending state champs, however; they outscored the Mustangs in quarters 3 and 4, 21-15 and 20-17, respectively, and were in the game in the final minute, but the Mustangs kept the Indians at arms’ length and ultimately prevailed 65-60. 4 Indians tallied double digit points in the game (Nathan Kelderman, Jakob Stek, Waylon Bolibaugh, and Max Roach).
On Saturday, the girls and boys of Osky battled for the Eddybylooska Trophy against the girls and boys of Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont, both of whom were undefeated going in. The EBF girls were the 5th ranked team in the most recent 2A rankings from the IGHSAU and used their size to compete with Dasia Foster in the post and outrebounded the Indians all night. Junior Aliya Wagamon had a brilliant performance with 19 points and 10 (unofficial) rebounds. The Rockets maintained control throughout the evening and defeated the Indians 62-42 despite a routine strong performance from Osky senior Presley Blommers (24 points, 5 rebounds, 4 steals).
The boys game was a bit of a different story, though the final result was similar. Oskaloosa and EBF were evenly matched in the first half with Osky shooting the ball well and having success keeping the Rockets’ taller players from driving inside. The Indians held a slim 31-29 advantage midway through the contest.
The Rockets, however, would adjust well in the second half and began using their size to their advantage more effectively. Brooks Moore and Carsen Wade came alive in the second half and Jesse Cornelison set a career high in trips to the free throw line to give control of the game firmly to the Rockets as they pulled away in the 2nd half and took the game 72-52.
The Oskaloosa girls (3-4) do not have another game scheduled until after the holiday break. The Oskaloosa boys (0-6) play again tonight in a home tilt with Ottumwa.
