Osbourn Park Stumbles at Freedom Via Buzzer-Beater

Osbourn Park head coach Jeremy Coleman and his team huddle up before the final play versus Freedom on Friday night.(photo via Amber Bonner)

The 5-2 Osbourn Park Yellow Jackets came into Friday's game having won three games in a row by an average margin of 21.6 points. That streak would come to an end at Freedom as they lost 46-45 in heartbreaking fashion when the home team hit a three-pointer at the buzzer as time expired. 

The visitors had a slow start, falling behind 11-5 early. They'd regroup and end the quarter on a 6-0 run to knot things at 11. 

The Eagles would open the second quarter with a 6-0 run of their own to go up 17-11 as OP called a timeout with 5:48 left in the half. Minutes later, the Yellow Jackets would make another run thanks to a pair of steals by sophomore guard Tavyahn Faison. 

Faison's latter steal saw him off to the races to score on the opposite end. Freedom junior guard Dylan Kehrer would foul him hard, but still give up the basket for an and-one opportunity. Faison would hit the floor in a nasty way, as the OP fans and bench were visibly mad by the play. Kehrer was assessed a technical for the foul. Freshman guard Jalen Proctor would come in to make one of two free throws.

Logan Dwyer led the Yellow Jackets in scoring with 17, including a go-ahead layup with three seconds left. 

(photo via Amber Bonner)

Osbourn Park would continue to rally, taking a 21-20 lead into the half. 

The two teams would continue their back-and-forth battle through the third. The Eagles would outscore OP 13-9 to take a 33-31 lead heading into the final quarter. The Yellow Jackets would struggle against Freedom's zone defense, shooting 35% from the field and 2-16 from beyond the arc. Their signature up-tempo offense was not on display with fast breaks being very scarce.  

OP's defense increased the pressure, forcing a turnover followed by a Freedom timeout with 5:15 left in the game. Down 39-37, Osbourn Park went on a  4-0 run to regain the lead as Freedom called another timeout with 1:51 to go. 

Osbourn Park senior guard Logan Dwyer would lead the team throughout their multiple rallies, piling up 17 points on the night on 6-12 shooting. His final basket would give OP a 45-43 lead with three seconds left in the game. Freedom would advance the ball past halfcourt with 1.2 to go.

Coming out of the Freedom timeout, the ball was inbounded to Eagles senior guard Taharka Siaca Bey. Bey turned and heaved a three-pointer to win the game as time expired. The student section ran onto the court and swamped Bey and the team. 

Sophomore guard Tay Faison returned after a three game absence and led OP in steals with four.

(photo via Amber Bonner)

I talked with Logan Dwyer following the loss. 

"We started off slow against their 2-3 zone. It took us a while to find our rhythm, attack their gaps and get our big guys involved. In the second half we were able to push the ball out more and get looks. We got beat on the defensive end by our guards. We let it be way closer than it should have been. They got a lucky shot at the end."

Head coach Jeremy Coleman reflected on the last-second defeat.

"Our team came into the game feeling good after three solid wins and unfortunately allowed Freedom to dictate the pace. That's not our way. We shot horribly and made bad decisions with the ball. Despite this, we played solid defense and gave ourselves a chance to come away with a victory. That's a testament to what we can do when we aren't playing to our opponent's level."

Junior big man Josh Okuadido led OP in rebounds with eight, five of which were of the offensive variety. Sophomore guard Trey Terrell finished the game with 13 points, going 6-6 from the charity stripe. Senior guard Daniel Salguero had four rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

But wait- there's more. 

Bey would then create more tension between the two teams as he returned to the court with fans filing out,  apparently looking for Osbourn Park players to trash talk. This rubbed OP the wrong way. Bey would eventually find his way to his team's locker room. As fans and the teams were leaving the school, a commotion provoked by Freedom players next to OP's team bus led coaches and administrators to get involved. Neither side would get physical despite multiple people getting restrained. Head coach Jeremy Coleman witnessed the ugly incident firsthand and looked back on it.

"What happened after the game was completely uncalled for and a poor sense of sportsmanship. Freedom worked their game plan and a young man's prayer was answered. That shot should have been the end of it. I applaud my players and fans who stepped in to protect their own."

In case anyone was wondering, the two teams face off again in conference action on Friday, January 21st at Osbourn Park at 7:30 pm. 

Monday's game vs Patriot has been moved to Wednesday, January 5th. 

The team now goes on winter break with a 5-3 record, not resuming action until December 27th & 28th when they take part in The Boardwalk Classic tournament in Wildwood, New Jersey. 

For more on the Yellow Jackets, visit their website and follow them on Twitter @OPJacketshoops.

Osbourn Park Wins Third Straight, Taking Down Gainesville at Home

OP's starting line-up took the floor with plenty of support at home Tuesday night. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Osbourn Park took the floor at home Tuesday night versus Gainesville, having won two straight games versus Christ Chapel and Southern Maryland Christian. The Yellow Jackets came away with a 68-50 victory to move to 5-2 on the season and 1-0 in conference play. 

OP would start off slow, tying the Cardinals at 11 at the end of one. By the start of the second quarter, they'd find their rhythm, jumping to a 20-15 lead which caused Gainesville to call a timeout with 5:04 left in the half. Less than two minutes later, the visitors would call another timeout after OP stretched the lead to 11 at 26-15. The Yellow Jackets would head into the half up 32-24. 

Freshmen forward RJ Jones posted a career-high in points (18) and led all OP scorers. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Leading the charge all night would be freshmen forward RJ Jones. The baby-faced sharpshooter would lead the team with 18 points on 7-13 shooting (4-7 from three) and gather Player of the Game honors. I caught up with RJ after the game.

"I thought that sense we all played as a team like we have the past couple of games we played better. For me I was just taking more shots and they were going in.  i’m really excited for the rest of the season."

OP would continue their strong play into the third quarter, causing Gainesville to burn two more timeouts- the second coming with 1:42 left after the Yellow Jackets stretched the lead to 17 at 49-32. 

The real fun for the home faithful would come in the fourth quarter when senior Logan Dwyer found junior Joshua Okuadido for an alley-oop dunk off an inbounds pass, putting OP up 56-36. The Osbourn Park bench rose to its feet in unison. Okuadido was assessed a technical for pulling up on the rim, and Gainesville took advantage by sinking both free throws. The dunk was Okuadido's second of the night. He'd finish the night with 13 points on 5-8 shooting, 3-4 from the charity stripe and add three rebounds, one assist, two steals and three blocks.

Okuadido has had three double-digit scoring games in his last four outings, averaging 10.2 points per game.

Josh Okuadido finished with 13 points including these two monster dunks.(photos via Amber Bonner)

Sophomore  guard Trey Terrell continued his string of strong scoring performances with 14 points on 6-13 shooting with three rebounds, three assists and three steals. The dynamic scorer is averaging 20 points during the recent win streak.

The team finished the night shooting 28-59 (47%) and 6-18 from beyond the arc (33%). They drastically improved on limiting turnovers with only 10 as opposed to last Saturday's 24. Head coach Jeremy Coleman spoke to that improvement and the team's solid night as a whole, which included a team season-high of 12 assists. 

"The path to success includes a number of rest areas called milestones. 

Last night for us was about milestones. You have a milestone at the 1st game of the season, 1st home game and 1st conference game. We knew that Gainesville would come in feeling great at 3-1. My players are full of pride, but not foolish pride or boastful pride ... but competitive pride- pride in themselves , the letters across their chest, their teammates and accomplishing milestones. OP has not won a 1st conference game in nearly 10 years and they took great pride in ending that drought.

I'm happy with our ability to take care of the ball. 10 turnovers and I'm thrilled with how Josh Okuadido commanded respect down low  to include a couple rim rockers and how frosh RJ Jones displayed the outstanding array of skill that he brings to the table offensively and defensively. Trey Terrell has been consistent as such with Logan Dwyer and Daniel Salguero. That in my opinion is a top backcourt contender in the region. 

Now we prepare for Friday night where we welcome back Tay Faison and an opportunity to hit another milestone."

 

During the current three-game win streak, Osbourn Park is averaging 72.6 points per game with an average margin of victory of 21.6 points.

Senior guard Logan Dwyer would lead his team with five assists, 

including an electrifying inbounds alley-oop lob to big man Josh Okuadido.

The 5-2 Yellow Jackets go on the road this Friday for another conference game against Freedom-South Riding (1-3).

For more on the team, visit their website and follow them on Twitter @OPjacketshoops.

 

Two in a Row: Osbourn Park Beats Southern Maryland Christian Academy

Osbourn Park head coach Jeremy Coleman discusses strategy versus SMCA with his team during a timeout. 

(photo via Amber Bonner)

The Osbourn Park Yellow Jackets travelled to Waldorf, Maryland this past Saturday to take on the Southern Maryland Christian Academy Mustangs. OP would come away with their second straight victory, 70-39 and move to 4-2 on the young season. 

Osbourn Park wasted no time getting out in front, ending the first quarter up 22-10. Sophomore point guard Trey Terrell was a big reason why, racking up five steals in the opening period. Terrell would repeat as OP's player of the game for a second straight week, finishing the night with 20 points on 7-11 shooting. He'd  go 2-4 from three, 4-5 at the free throw line, and added three rebounds with two assists. 

Most impressive, though, were his ten steals that gave him his first double-double of the season. Terrell was laser-focused all night on the ball defensively, often leaving his man for an opportunity to snag it. I spoke with Terrell following the game.

"Tonight was a big win for us, improving to 4-2 and helped us prepare for conference play on Tuesday. I felt us being down a man that I had to go out there and play under control, step it up on defense and limit turnovers. Overall I think it was a great team win and everyone contributed."

 Trey Terrell was OP's player of the week for a second straight week.

(photo via Amber Bonner)

The closest the Mustangs got all night was keeping it within three for the second quarter, as the Yellow Jackets outscored them 13-10, taking a 35-20 lead into the half. Osbourn Park would finish with an even stronger second half, outscoring the home team 35-12.

The Yellow Jackets finished the game shooting 22-51 (43%), going 5-18 (27%) from beyond the arc, 15-25 (60%) at the free throw line and added a season-high 25 steals. 

Head coach Jeremy Coleman was happy with the result but saw room for improvement.

"It was about striking first and continuing to do so. The team bought in. We didn't come out all this way to lose. They found the weak spots of the Mustangs and capitalized. In regards to the amount of turnovers tonight, I have a certain threshold with the pace we play at. That being said, 23 turnovers is never acceptable- even in a win. But at the end of the day, I am happy with how we overwhelmed them to the point of mitigating those turnovers and walking away victorious."

Other double-digit scorers included senior guard Logan Dwyer (10) and junior big man Ayden Weinstein (11). Weinstein went 3-5 from the field, 1-1 from three, 2-4 from the charity stripe, finishing things off with four rebounds and two steals. Junior forward/center Joshua Okuadido led the team with nine rebounds. 

Junior Ayden Weinstein added a boost off the bench for Osbourn Park.

(photo via Amber Bonner)

Next up for the 4-2 Yellow Jackets is a Tuesday night conference game versus the Gainesville Cardinals (3-1) at home. Tipoff is at 7:30 pm.

For more on OP basketball, visit their website and follow them on Twitter @OPJacketshoops.

Yellow Jackets Win Comfortably in Home Opener Over Christ Chapel Academy

The Osbourn Park bench cheers on the team's hot start in the first quarter versus Christ Chapel Academy. 

(photo via Amber Bonner)

What a difference two days make. Tuesday night saw Osbourn Park fall short on the road at Forest Park with many dejected faces. Fast forward to Thursday night's home opener against Christ Chapel Academy and it was smiles and high fives all around as OP won going away, 80-64. 

The Yellow Jackets immediately took advantage of the home crowd, hitting their first 13 of 16 shots. Sophomore point guard Trey Terrell and senior shooting guard Logan Dwyer led the way, scoring 10 a piece. Osbourn Park ended the first quarter up 32-17. 

Christ Chapel used a bevy of three-pointers to gain ground in the second quarter with an 11-2 run, forcing OP to call a timeout with 3:04 left in the half. The Lions would finish the quarter outscoring the Yellow Jackets 19-10. The visitors would use another stout effort in the third quarter to cut the lead to two with OP up 55-53 beginning the fourth quarter. 

Sophomore point guard Trey Terrell led the team in points (26) and assists (5). 

(photo via Amber Bonner)

While the Lions would look to take the lead for the first time all night, OP held them off with a strong final period, built on an infrastructure of quality shots, free throws, three-pointers and aggressive defense. The Yellow Jackets finished off the visitors 25-10 in the last quarter. Trey Terrell was a key reason why, finishing the game 9-10 from the free throw line. He and junior forward/center Cam Portis were named co-players of the game by the coaching staff.

"We just came out with effort and wanting to bounce back from the last game," said Terrell. "It felt pretty good to have that home crowd energy after starting the season with four away games. Our big men had a lot of rebounds and blocks, and overall were more aggressive tonight."

Cam Portis was a co-player of the game with his first double-double. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Cam Portis would notch his first double-double of the year with 10 points and 10 rebounds (four offensive) while adding a block for good measure. I caught up with the bright-eyed junior.

"It felt great. I felt I underperformed last game and really wanted to work on my rebounding and pull my weight in the game. It meant a lot they were looking for me in the post. We worked on it at practice and I feel we are coming together as a team. It feels great to be back home. I like being on the road when we are seen as the villains, but home games are even better."

Logan Dwyer also was a key to victory, scoring 19 points on 7-9 shooting (3-4 from three-point land). Dwyer also added 2 rebounds, 2 assists and hit both of his free throw attempts. 

OP finished the game 26-46 (56%) and 8-16 from beyond the arc (50%). The team shot 70% at the free throw line (21-30) and had 31 rebounds with 11 on the offensive glass. 

Next up for the 3-2 Yellow Jackets is a road test versus Southern Maryland Christian Academy (0-3) on Saturday at 7 pm. 

For more on the team, visit their website and follow them on Twitter @OPJacketshoops. 

Osbourn Park Falls to Forest Park

A poor shooting night for OP versus Forest Park led to their second loss of the season. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Coming off the heels of a 29 point win over North Stafford on the road, Osbourn Park's confidence was high heading into their Tuesday night game versus Forest Park. Despite this, Forest Park would defend their home court, winning 57-47.

Osbourn Park had a slow start, falling behind 11-1 early in the first quarter. They used a strong finish on both sides of the court to get within six points, as Forest Park led 15-9 after one quarter. 

The Yellow Jackets' aggressiveness on defense was on display again as they racked up 15 steals on the night. Unfortunately too often they were unable to convert on the ensuing fast break. 

Joshua Okuadido was a force on both sides of the ball Tuesday night. (Photo via Amber Bonner)

When their inside shots haven't been falling, OP has been able to boost their scoring from beyond the arc as they are 40% from there on the season. Tuesday night they would struggle, not making any. 

Forest Park would take a 30-21 lead into the half. The game would be closest in the third quarter in part to a run from OP, but they remained behind 45-37 heading into the final quarter. OP had been shooting 75% as a team from the free throw line. They were unable to capitalize against the Bruins, going 7-16.

A bright spot for the Yellow Jackets was junior big man Joshua Okuadido. He was a menace defensively, accounting for six blocks while adding 10 points on 5-6 shooting. Okuadido also had eight rebounds and three steals with no turnovers. 

I caught up with head coach Jeremy Coleman to get his thoughts on the game.

"Simply put- we beat ourselves. Instead of trusting in the process and our identity, we had a few pockets of panic in which we went away from who we are. This is the early season and we lack the experience of other teams. There will be growing pains and some struggles, but they will learn from them and be ready come conference time."

Osbourn Park looks to once again get above the .500 mark when they host Christ Chapel Academy Thursday night at 7:30 pm. 

For more on the team, visit their website and follow them on Twitter @OPJacketshoops.

Osbourn Park Soundly Defeats North Stafford on Road

(photo via Amber Bonner)

The Osbourn Park Yellow Jackets were on the road once again versus North Stafford following a loss to Hylton. The result was never in doubt as OP won going away, 68-39. 

North Stafford would score the first basket of the game almost immediately- and it would be their only lead of the night. Osbourn Park imposed their will all night long, racing out to a 25-10 first quarter lead. Sophomore shooting guard Tavyahn Faison got off to a very hot start, hitting his first four shots. Faison would finish the game as the team’s leading scorer with 19 points on 7-10 shooting, going 3-5 from three-point land. He also added three rebounds, two steals, an assist and went 2-2 at the free throw line.

 

Tavyahn Faison led all scorers with 19 points (photo via Amber Bonner)

 

OP was just as dominant in the second quarter, outscoring the Wolverines 21-6 to head into the half up 46-16. Sophomore point guard Trey Terrell would come up with another strong performance, scoring 15 points on 5-10 shooting with three rebounds, three assists and two steals.

 Sophomore point guard Trey Terrell finished scored 15 points and is averaging 17 over his last two games

(photo via Amber Bonner)

 

A weak point for the Yellow Jackets in their loss to Hylton was turnovers. In the first half versus North Stafford, they only had three. OP’s largest lead was 37 before North Stafford improved their efforts in the second half, outscoring OP 23-22.

OP finished 45% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc. Over their last two games, they’re shooting 37% from deep. They also continued the strong defensive play with 17 steals after 14 versus Hylton.

OP's big men trio of Okuadido, Bilal and Portis crashed the boards all night for OP. (photo via Amber Bonner)

 

Junior forward Joshua Okuadido, senior forward Malcolm Bilal and junior center Cameron Portis all led the team with four rebounds each.

The win brings the Yellow Jackets to 2-1 on the young season, as they head to Forest Park (1-2) Tuesday night for a 7:30 pm tipoff. 

 

Osbourn Park Splits Two on Road

 

The Osbourn Park boys basketball team opened up their season with back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday night- a 54-53 win over Colgan and a 71-61 loss at Hylton.

The energy at the Charles J. Colgan Shark Tank was palpable, as the home side was completely packed. Not to be outdone, the OP faithful showed up strong to show their support. At one point Colgan fans exchanged words with an OP fan across the court, but administrators quickly stepped in to defuse the tension.

The Yellow Jackets would end both the first quarter (18-14) and the first half (29-27) with the lead, but the home team would find an edge in a low-scoring third quarter, outscoring OP 10-4. The Yellow Jackets pushed the pace in the fourth quarter, attacking the basket and drawing fouls when their shots weren’t falling. The team went 22-30 (73%) from the free throw line.  

Osbourn Park senior Logan Dwyer would lead the team with 13 points, going 2-5 from beyond the arc and 5-7 at the charity stripe. Dwyer would also add two steals, two rebounds and an assist. Other top scorers included sophomores Trey Terrell (9) and Tavyahn Faison (8).

OP’s defense was sharp all night, as they racked up 15 steals. Trey Terrell led the team with four steals. Terrell also tied for most rebounds (5) with junior forward Joshua Okuadido. OP grabbed 23 total rebounds with 9 on the offensive end.

Wednesday night saw OP travel to C.D. Hylton and take on an incredibly tall Bulldogs team, with most of their roster well over six feet tall. Despite the disadvantage, the Yellow Jackets would lead through three quarters and even led by 12 at one point.

The visitors used a gritty effort to outrebound the Bulldogs in the first half and led 29-21. Sophomore guard Tavyahn Faison led all OP players with 9 rebounds. Fellow sophomore Trey Terrell led OP with 19 points, weaving in, out, under and around Bulldog defenders with crafty layups and crisp passes.

Senior guard Logan Dwyer would get off to a hot start with two quick three point shots, but would later get in foul trouble and have his minutes watched in the second half. Defensively, he drew two key charges to get the ball back for his team. OP forced 16 turnovers and Dwyer would finish with 12 points.

 Osbourn Park would have another strong showing at the free throw line (19-24, 79%) and from beyond the arc (6-15, 40%.  The Bulldogs had a stellar final quarter, outscoring OP 29-16.

 Up next is a another road game for OP as they travel to North Stafford Friday night for a 7:30 tipoff versus the Wolverines.

 For more on OP basketball, visit their website and follow them on Twitter @OPJacketshoops.