Conference championship at Fall Creek sees double overtime, score of 53 – 52 last Friday

In ordinary sequence, thunder follows light ning. In last Tuesday’s home game against Osseo-Fairchild, the Oriole lightning overtook O-F Thunder, the final score coming out to a whopping 76 – 48 in the Orioles favor.

Finishing the first half with a commanding lead of 46 – 24, the Orioles coasted to victory in the second, scoring 30 points to 24 for Os – seo-Fairchild.

Top game scorer for the Orioles in the game against the Thunder was Lucas Smith, who came away with 16 points towards the final score after scoring one free with a threefold count of two-pointers (for six points) and three-pointers (for nine points total) across both game halves.

Coming in next on the Oriole score chart was Cooper Nichols, who contributed five two-pointers and one three-pointer to the fi – nal score for thirteen points total. Tying with Nichols for game points scored, meanwhile, was Henry Hoel, with six two-pointers and one free throw across both halves. Landen Karlen scored six points, Logan Burzynski scored four points, and Haydn Gustafson scored three points. The Orioles kept their total team fouls to two in the first half and seven in the sec – ond, coming out on the winning end against the Thunder.

Next meeting Fall Creek in an away game later in the week, the Orioles and Crickets went into double overtime as they battled for the win, the final score coming out to 53 – 52 in Fall Creek's favor.

As to scoring in the game against Fall Creek, the Oriole boys score chart showed Smith tied with Brady Potaczek as top game leader in scoring, Potaczek making five successful free throws and tipping the ball to the Oriole’s side in both overtime installments.

It was a long-fought heartbreaker, as prior to finishing just one point under the Crickets the Orioles had spent the second erasing a sev – en-point deficit with Fall Creek, entering the second half with 16 total game points to 23 for Fall Creek. Fighting their way back against the tide, the Orioles saw overtime after Carsen Hause scored a last minute basket to even the score 43 – 43.

With overtime slot one soon following, the Orioles got the ball at tipoff and took it down – court for the first overtime basket, the Crickets answering in turn to bring the score 49 – 49 at the close of the first four-minute overtime pe riod.

Starting out period two with the ball, the Orioles made headway against Fall Creek, be – fore falling short in the final seconds to see the Crickets walk away with the prize.

Moving forward this coming weekend, the Oriole boys are scheduled to play in a cross –

over match play at Neillsville on Saturday Feb –

ruary 26, game play beginning at 2:30 p.m.

Dominic Raffetto takes the ball in a game against Osseo-Fairchild last Tuesday. Photo by Joseph Back.