Say what you will about the men's basketball team, but be careful not to say it during February. Playing in the friendly confines of Phillips gymnasium, the Yeomen eeked out a dramatic 75-63 victory over conference rival Kenyon College, continuing a February trend established over the past two seasons with wins over Case Western Reserve University (1999) and Earlham College (1998).
Prior to last Wednesday night, Oberlin suffered a loss to Wabash College. Mustering only 18 points in the first half, including a scoring drought that extended almost the final eight minutes, Oberlin dug themselves a 37-point half-time hole, entering the locker room down 55-18. The second half was not much better for the Yeomen, as they remained ice cold, connecting on only 24 of 76 shots from the floor. Suffice to say, the Yeomen suffered a vicious defeat, losing 101-53.
Wednesday night, however, was different. Playing host to the 6-16 Kenyon Lords, the Yeomen played as good a game as the home crowd had seen them play all year. Sophomore post Brian Buchanan led the Yeomen charge, shooting 10 of 12 from the field and ending the game with 21 points and eight rebounds. On paper this is impressive. It wasn't Buchanan's impressiveness that spurred the Oberlin victory, however. It was his dominance. Every time the Yeomen needed a rebound, Buchanan grabbed it. Every time they needed a basket, Buchanan found it.
Buchanan set the tone for the night on the first three Oberlin possessions, converting two missed jump shots into points and picking up his first personal foul. Oberlin struggled with fouls the entire game, earning 10 in the first 12 minutes. By halftime, Kenyon had converted 15 attempts from the foul line into 13 points, while Oberlin hadn't attempted one free throw.
The beginning minutes of the game were hard fought, with neither side able to break free. With the score tied at 14 following a flagrant foul on sophomore Yeomen post Ric Pierce, Kenyon switched from their half-court man-to-man defense to a 1-2-2 zone. It was against this defense that Oberlin found its greatest success. First-year guard Zach Pretzer noted his team's success, saying, "We tried to initiate some movement and establish an inside-outside game. We tried to get a lot of post feeds to [Buchanan], [junior Zeljko Petrovic] and Jon [McDonald, a first-year]. In fact, Buc did his best against the zone." Over the next six minutes, the Yeomen exploited the Kenyon defense, going on an 11-6 run. Eight of these points came from Buchanan, beginning with a dunk.
If Buchanan gave Oberlin its victory, junior Maurice Elrod handed Kenyon its defeat. Elrod earned a "quiet" 20 points, but his play-making ability was evident to all in attendence, as he earned eight assists. Like Buchanan, though, it was not the number of Elrod passes that caught the eye, but their timing and their style. Elrod repeatedly penetrated on offense, drawing defenders and finding open teammates. Had there been fewer fouls and missed easy opportunities, Elrod would have easily finished with a double-double. As it was, his slashing style had to settle for exposing Kenyon's vulnerabilities.
Despite these efforts, Oberlin's foul trouble cost them a five-point lead at the end of the first half, and they went into the locker room down five, 36-31. Undaunted, Oberlin opened the half by going on an 8-4 run over the first five minutes, closing the Kenyon lead to one. With the score tied at 43, Kenyon once again turned to its 1-2-2 zone, and, once again, Oberlin exploited it. Led by Buchanan, Elrod and Petrovic, Oberlin gained a 10-point lead with 8:14 remaining in the game.
Saddled with foul trouble, Head Coach "Satch" Sullinger gave his bench significant minutes, and they rewarded him by playing Kenyon tough. After surviving an eight-point assault over the next minute by Kenyon power forward Chad Plotkee, who led all scorers with 23 points, the Yeomen bench did more than hold their own. After a Kenyon time-out with 5:46 remaining in the game, the Oberlin bench had to face a 1-2-2 full court press, which they did without giving up any turnovers or forcing any shots.
Even with the Oberlin effort, it is fair to say that Kenyon shot themselves in the foot over the last seven minutes. By shooting nine straight three-point shots (2-9), the Lords caused their inside game to simply evaporate, and they neither got any rebounds nor made it to the free throw line during this drought. Defensively, Oberlin did a good job of cleaning the glass and eliminating any Kenyon second-shot opportunities.
By the time that Kenyon even attempted another two-point field goal, at the 2:11 mark, Oberlin had opened up a 12 point lead. Smelling victory, Oberlin simply held the basketball and allowed Kenyon to foul them. By ending the game where Kenyon had started it--at the foul line-the Yeomen walked out of Phillips gym 75-63 victors.
No contest: Junior Zeljko "Z" Petrovic lays one in over a Kenyon defender. Oberlin would win 75-63. (staff photo)
Copyright © 2000, The Oberlin Review.
Volume 128, Number 14, February 18, 2000
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