OAKLAND – When Oakland Tech stepped onto the Oakland Excessive flooring, it was greeted by giant pictures of Wildcat legend Damian Lillard on every wall, and his jersey hung above the principle doorway.
As a substitute of trying to channel the Oakland icon by outscoring the Wildcats in a high-tempo affair with the Oakland Athletic League title on the road, the Bulldogs gritted out a stop-and-start 60-50 victory on Wednesday night time.
Regardless of being the Bulldogs’ thirty first consecutive regular-season league victory and its sixth straight over their rivals, Ardarius Grayson nonetheless savored an OAL championship and rivalry win the Bulldogs have come to anticipate.
“Playing this game and being a champion every year, it’s really big and it is something that we should enjoy, and not just something we let pass by,” Grayson stated.
Oakland Tech (21-5, 8-0) had crushed Oakland (18-7, 6-2) a couple of weeks earlier in a 52-44 thriller.
Regardless of enjoying in a recreation the place the athletes usually stood nonetheless extra usually than they tried to make baskets – the groups combining for 58 free throws – visiting Tech guards Chase Millheim and Grayson by no means appeared to cease transferring.
Grayson led all scorers with 17 factors, darting into any opening he might discover on Wednesday night time. When he wasn’t placing the ball within the basket, the senior guard dished out six assists and performed his trademark above-the-rim protection.
In the meantime, Millheim scored 12 factors and hit three 3-pointers however arguably made his greatest impression as an on-ball defender. The tenacious point-of-attack stopper stripped a number of Oakland ballhandlers within the first quarter and set the tone for the remainder of the night time.
“I’m a short guard, and I’ve had to work hard my whole life to just play good defense,” Millheim stated. “If I get a steal, I feel really good for the rest of the game.”
Oakland had not performed in per week, and the Wildcats definitely regarded rusty to start out in a recreation the place Tech by no means trailed.
The Bulldogs went up by as a lot as 17-6 within the first quarter due to Grayson drives and a few 3-point makes by forwards Xan Meyer-Plettner and Jasen Davis.
Oakland, which obtained a team-high 13 factors from shifty guard Da’Sean Armstrong, reduce the deficit to 19-13 by the tip of the quarter however noticed the Bulldogs take a 36-26 lead into halftime after Tech steadied itself.
The Bulldogs led by double digits for almost all of the second half, owing a lot of that to Oakland Excessive’s lack of ability to make free throws. The Wildcats drew contact repeatedly and have been rewarded with an unguarded shot from the stripe.
They missed 14 of them in whole, and eight clanked off the rim within the third quarter alone.
The Bulldogs have been hardly marksmen from that spot both however made a extra respectable 20 of 29.
Up subsequent is the part playoffs, which has seen Tech face Oakland for the title previously few seasons.
Barring an upset by a really succesful Fremont-Oakland crew, the 2 juggernauts from Alameda County’s greatest metropolis ought to as soon as once more duke it out subsequent week.
“I’m looking forward to the playoffs a lot,” Millheim stated. “I love playoff games.”
