RENAISSANCE vs. OAK PARK

DPS HOLIDAY HOOPS CLASSIC

THE PHOENIX CAME OUT SHOOTING HOT AS THEY HAVE DONE IN PREVIOUS GAMES THIS SEASON. JUNIOR GERALD JOHNSON NAILED TWO THREE'S IN THE FIRST QUARTER AND SENIOR CHENE PHILLIPS ADDED 9 POINTS FOR A EIGHT POINT PHOENIX LEAD. RENAISSANCE WOULD EVENTUALLY COOL OFF, AS THEY ONLY SCORED 3 MADE FIELD GOALS IN THE 2ND QUARTER AND FOUND THEMSELVES ONLY UP ONE AT THE HALF, 32-31.

THE SECOND HALF WAS FILLED WITH ALOT OF EXCITEMENT. BOTH TEAMS MADE RUNS TO PUT THEIR TEAMS AHEAD OR TO CUT A LEAD DOWN. THE PHOENIX LEAD BY 3 AFTER THE THIRD QUARTER AND LOOKED LIKE THEY WEER GOING TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE GAME. HOWEVER, SOLID GUARD PLAY BY OAK PARK KEPT THEM IN IT. WITH 45 SECONDS LEFT THE PHOENIX WERE UP SEVEN POINTS AND IT SEEMED LIKE THE GAME WAS IN CONTROL. TWO TURNOVERS FOR LAYUPS CUT THE LEAD TO THREE WITH 9 SECONDS LEFT AND OAK PARK HAD THE BALL. AFTER AN OAK PARK TIMEOUT, SOPHOMORE JALEN SIMS, WAS ORDERED BY COACH NICHOLS TO FOUL THE BALL HANDLER SENDING OAK PARK TO THE FREE THROW LINE. OAK PARK MISSED AND MIKE HUNDLEY CAME UP WITH THE REBOUND AND WAS FOULED. HUNDLEY MAKES ONE OF TWO FREE THROWS PUTTING THE PHOENIX UP FOUR. WITH 3 SECONDS LEFT, OAK PARK MADE A SHOT FROM HALF COURT AND THE FINAL SCORE WAS 69-68.

OAK PARK, WHO HAS BEEN STRUGGLING TO FIND A WIN AS OF LATE, PLAYED WITH ALOT OF CONFIDENCE IN THE SECOND HALF AND BATLLED THE PHOENIX TOUGH. SENIOR JALEN CRAWFORD CARRIED THEM THE WHOLE HALF SCORING 14 OF HIS 23 POINTS. HOWEVER, THE BEST GUARD ON THE FLOOR THIS GAME BELONGED TO SENIOR CHENE PHILLIPS. NOT ONLY DID HE SCORE 31 POINTS BUT HE ALSO GRABBED 8 REBOUNDS, DISHED 4 ASSISTS AND HAD 5 STEALS. HIS BACKCOURT GUNNER, GERALD JOHNSON HELPED HIM PULL OUT THE WIN BY DRAINING SIX THREE POINTERS FOR 18 POINTS.

PHOENIX BOX SCORE