Osbourn Park Stung at Home by Battlefield

 

Osbourn Park comes together during a timeout. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Coming off a tough loss Monday versus Patriot, Osbourn Park didn't have much time to reflect on it before they took on Battlefield Tuesday night at home. Battlefield would win for the second time in two meetings, 65-45. 

Osbourn Park had their backs against the wall almost immediately. Junior center Josh Okuadido committed two fouls early, and had to come out at the 5:49 mark of the first quarter. Following a turnover, Osbourn Park head coach Jeremy Coleman would call a timeout with his team down 9-0 with just over four minutes left. Battlefield would take a commanding 16-5 lead after one. 

Freshman guard Jalen Proctor would come off the bench and lead OP with 13 points.

(photo via Amber Bonner)

Battlefield senior forward Bryce Hammersley would miss a shot, then get his own rebound and put it back to give his team a 21-10 lead with 5:05 left in the half. The OP faithful held their breath when junior guard Mark Boakye collided with Bobcats junior Maddux Tennant on a long pass to Tennant. Boakye would gather himself and be helped off the court with no long-lasting injury. 

The latter half of the second quarter would see OP gain some momentum when freshman guard Jalen Proctor finished a layup, hit a three-pointer and senior guard Daniel Salguero scored a layup while getting fouled. OP would pull to within seven points by halftime with Battlefield up 29-22. 

Proctor would be the Yellow Jackets' leading scorer with 13 points  on 4-8 shooting (3-5 from three) and adding 2 steals and a rebound off the bench. Salguero would be the team's only other scorer in double digits with 10, going 4-11 (2-6) from the field. He'd also have 2 assists, 2 steals, 1 block and 2 rebounds. 

The performances were not lost on head coach Jeremy Coleman. 

"I thought Jalen Proctor played a solid game in that he came off the bench and scored a career high 13 pts include three three's and played solid perimeter defense. I expect great things out of him as he continues to grow and learn this varsity game. Senior Daniel Salguero was a spark off the bench as well providing some timely buckets and steady ball handling."

Senior guard Daniel Salguero would score 10 points on the night. 

(photo via Amber Bonner)

Battlefield would use a 19-8 third quarter to dash OP's hopes, taking advantage of an Osbourn Park turnover to lead 40-30 with ninety seconds left. Junior guard Hassan Hammad would hit a three-pointer at the end of the third to help Battlefield take a 48-30 lead into the final quarter. 

Osbourn Park made the fourth quarter a bit more competitive- being outscored 17-15- but Battlefield had already built a comfortable lead.

Coleman expressed his thoughts on the night as a whole. 

"Tonight was a little rough for us. We came out to a very slow start. I believe we still had a little fatigue from the night before against Patriot but credit to Battlefield as they played a very good game. We play in a very tough conference where every night you have to bring it whether it is the first of a back to back or the second of a back to back."

The loss drops the Yellow Jackets to 8-8 (4-4) on the season as they prepare to travel to Unity Reed (6-11, 2-7) on Friday night.

For more on OP basketball, keep it tuned here and follow them on Twitter @OPJackethoops. 

Osbourn Park basketball would like to thank their sponsors for the 2021-22 season:

USMC Memoriam - Joseph Dwyer

Yellow Jackets' Gutsy Effort Not Enough to Beat Undefeated Patriot

One of Josh Okuadido's three blocks on the night. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Only a week removed from a 17 point loss  on the road to Patriot, the Osbourn Park Yellow Jackets looked to even things up and put a blemish on the Pioneers' spotless record. Despite OP's best efforts, Patriot won 62-52 to move to 13-0 on the season. 

The first quarter saw both teams grab the lead multiple times, similar to a tennis ball being hit back and forth by two competitors. Osbourn Park sophomore guard Trey Terrell would sink a three-pointer off a nifty assist from RJ Jones. On the next play, senior guard Logan Dwyer would draw a charge to give OP the ball back. Terrell would miss a floater, but worked hard to tap it out to Jones who in turn sank his own three-pointer to tie things at 12. 

Minutes later, Patriot junior guard Nasir Coleman would hit a jumper to give Pioneer a 16-14 lead and force Yellow Jackets head coach Jeremy Coleman to call a timeout with only eight seconds left in the first quarter. 

The Pioneers looked to create some more space in the second quarter, jumping out to a 25-18 lead after they scored a layup following a missed OP shot. Both teams would hit the foul limit before halftime and give each other free throw attempts. Osbourn Park would close in on Patriot at halftime at 29-27 after layups from sophomore guard Tay Faison and junior center Josh Okuadido. 

Foul trouble would begin to rear its head in the third when RJ Jones committed his third foul with 6:16 left in the quarter and OP down 31-27. Despite the team's foul problems, OP would go on an 11-0 run featuring key baskets by Logan Dwyer and Tay Faison. Patriot would be forced to call a timeout and regroup with 4:07 left in the third quarter, down 38-31. 

Trey Terrell led Osbourn Park in scoring Monday night with 15 points. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Josh Okuadido and Dwyer would pick up their third fouls in the third quarter as well. After one scramble for the ball led to Okuadido getting summarily tossed to the floor, the incensed big man threw the ball at a Patriot defender. A technical was immediately called, and Patriot took advantage of it. 

Patriot closed the quarter out on a 12-2 run of their own. A rebound and putback by sophomore guard Dezmond Hopkins gave Patriot a 43-40 lead heading into the final quarter. 

Foul trouble for OP would become an even bigger issue in the fourth quarter when Okuadido was called for his fifth foul with 4:00 left in the game. If you asked Osbourn Park fans and coaches, it was an incredibly questionable call to say the least. Okuadido finished the game with six points, twelve rebounds (seven offensive) and three blocks. 

Tay Faison was 4-4 from the field with 13 points and four steals. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Osbourn Park would do their best to take advantage of Patriot mistakes. Tay Faison would use Patriot's 10th foul of the half to sink two free throws with 1:48 to go in the game. Faison would finish the night with 13 points on 4-4 shooting and 5-6 from the free throw line. He'd also add in two rebounds and four steals. 

OP failed to mount a rally at the end. Logan Dwyer would accrue his fourth foul with :39 to go followed by a Terrell charge and finally Dwyer's fifth foul with :23 left. 

The loss drops Osbourn Park to 8-7 (4-4) as they play the last leg of their homestand tomorrow night against Battlefield (9-3, 5-2) at 7:30 pm. The two teams last met January 10th when the Bobcats won going away, 73-45.

For more on OP basketball, keep it tuned here and follow them on Twitter @OPJackethoops. 

Osbourn Park basketball would like to thank their sponsors for the 2021-22 season:

USMC Memoriam - Joseph Dwyer

 

Osbourn Park Finds Redemption in Win Over Freedom

 

Sophomore guard Trey Terrell led OP with 21 points. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Osbourn Park hosted Freedom South Riding this past Friday night. It was their first meeting since Freedom's December 17th win via buzzer-beater, and OP didn't forget it. They won, 49-33. 

The game got off to a slow start for both teams as Freedom held a 6-5 lead with 1:57 to go in the first quarter. The two teams would end up 10-10 after one period. Osbourn Park's up-tempo style was slowed down by Freedom's 2-3 zone defense, and at times a 3-2 zone. 

Junior big man Tashawn Gresham fouled Freedom senior guard Jack Robertson. Robertson's two free throws would give the Eagles a 16-12 lead. Gresham was making his first varsity appearance after playing on junior varsity all season. Later in the second, Freedom would lead 20-15 and force OP head coach Jeremy Coleman to call a timeout. The Eagles would eventually carry a 21-17 lead into halftime. 

Teshawn Gresham made his first varsity appearance on Friday night. (photo via Amber Bonner)

The energy for Osbourn Park would change immensely in the third quarter. Freshman RJ Jones would steal the ball on defense and convert it into two points on the other end.  The Yellow Jackets would seize the momentum when  Jones found sophomore sensation Trey Terrell for a three-pointer to give their team a 31-23 lead with 2:05 to go in the third quarter. Terrell would finish the night with a team-leading 21 points, four rebounds, three steals, two assists and a flawless 6-6 at the charity stripe. 

Freedom junior guard Jacob Wolin would hit a three-pointer of his own to get Freedom within five points heading into the final quarter at 31-26. 

OP would slow the game down and be patient with Freedom's zone defense in the fourth. With 6:30 left in the game, they took a full minute off the clock by moving the ball around. Unfortunately they were unable to take advantage and turned it over. Trey Terrell would get the ball back via steal and convert a layup on the other end while drawing the foul. He knocked down the free throw to put OP up 34-29. Freedom would call a timeout and compounded the situation by turning the ball over immediately, failing to get the ball passed inbounds. 

Things got a little chippy when Freedom senior guard Havish Rallabandi brought the ball down, getting swarmed by senior guard Logan Dwyer and sophomore guards Tay Faison and Trey Terrell. Dwyer would commit a personal foul trying to steal the ball with Faison joining the fray. Faison would end up walking over Rallabandi which displeased the Freedom player. Words were exchanged, and he was assessed a technical foul. As he kept walking, he said something else within earshot of the referee and earned himself a second technical. Osbourn Park was awarded four free-throws and the ball as Terrell nailed them all, giving his team a 43-30 lead. 

Trey Terrell sank four consecutive free-throws following two Freedom technical fouls. 

(photo via Amber Bonner)

The Yellow Jackets would use the final few minutes to add on to their lead. RJ Jones would find himself with the ball once again as Dwyer found him up the sideline. Jones had his back the defense and spun towards the basket, causing his defender to whiz by into the OP bench. Jones then took two dribbles and pulled off a dazzling reverse layup as another Freedom defender would miss a block attempt. Jones would end the night with 12 points on 5-8 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. 

RJ Jones' impressive reverse layup. (photo via Amber Bonner)

I spoke to Trey Terrell after the game on his performance as well as the team's. 

"It felt good to get the win. My game tonight came from the defensive side which flowed into my offensive side and I started hitting shots. We started moving the ball better in the second half to counter their zone."

The win brings Osbourn Park to 8-6 (4-3) on the season. Their homestand continues Monday night when they host 12-0 (6-0) Patriot at 7:30 pm.

Keep it tuned here for more on the team and follow them on Twitter @OPJackethoops.  

Osbourn Park basketball would like to thank their sponsors for the 2021-22 season:

USMC Memoriam - Joseph Dwyer

Osbourn Park Falls on Road to Unbeaten Patriot

 Osbourn Park strategizes during a timeout. (photo via Amber Bonner)

The Yellow Jackets were looking to bounce back after a double-digit loss to Riverside last Saturday. Patriot failed to receive the memo, winning 77-60 at home to stay undefeated at a pristine 10-0.

Osbourn Park quickly fell behind, failing to get any traction on either side of the ball. Offensively they started 1-11 from the field, and lacked any presence on the boards. Patriot had many open shots, as senior guard Nick Marrero would hit two quick three-pointers in the first few minutes. The Pioneers were up 10-0, forcing OP head coach Jeremy Coleman to call a timeout. Osbourn Park would trail 19-11 after the first quarter. Marrero would finish the game with five three-pointers- all in the first half.

RJ Jones led all OP scorers with 14 points on 5-8 shooting. (photo via Amber Bonner)

The second quarter saw a shift in energy from the Yellow Jackets as they outscored Patriot 23-19. Senior guard Daniel Salguero found freshman forward RJ Jones for a three-point shot as time expired in the first half. OP would head into the half trailing 38-34. Jones would be Osbourn Park's leading scorer with 14 points on 5-8 shooting with one assist and one steal. His five rebounds tied sophomore guard Tay Faison for most on the night. 

Osbourn Park would continue their strong play in the third quarter, forcing a Patriot turnover as the Pioneers called a timeout with 5:40 left in the third quarter. 

Daniel Salguero would hit a timely three-pointer off an assist by sophomore guard Trey Terrell. Salguero would immediately find RJ Jones for a layup on the next possession as OP climbed to within two points of Patriot, 50-48. Terrell would finish second in scoring with 12 points, and added three assists, three steals and three rebounds. Salguero would get be OP's third double-digit scorer with 10 points on 4-5 shooting with three assists and one steal. 

Trey Terrell was second in scoring with 12 points, adding in 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 rebounds. (photo via Amber Bonner)

That would be the closest the Yellow Jackets would get, as Patriot battened down the hatches and began to create a big buffer between them and the visitors. Terrell would go down with a leg cramp with 5:54 left in the game with OP down 59-51. Forty seconds later, a Logan Dwyer layup would make things 61-53 followed by a Patriot timeout. Not found in the box score, however, would be Dwyer's energy all night on defense and late surge of baskets in the fourth to keep the hope going for OP. Dwyer would finish with 9 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Ninety seconds later, the Pioneers would expand the lead to 12 as they continued to get offensive rebounds and second chance points. A late three-point shot by sophomore center Isaiah Vick and a layup by junior guard Nasir Coleman would all but seal the deal for Patriot. 

OP would finish the night shooting 36% from the field and 29% from beyond the arc with only 23 total rebounds. 

I spoke with head coach Jeremy Coleman after the loss. 

"Our quality of shots were terrible in the fourth. We followed the game plan for the first twenty-eight minutes, and went away from it in the last four minutes. That was the turning point in the game. Our lack of physicality and lack of presence in the paint enabled Patriot to get a lot of easy buckets around the basket. Patriot is a solid, well-coached team and there’s a reason they are 10-0."

The Yellow Jackets (7-6) look to get back on the right track Friday night as they host Freedom South Riding (3-8) at 7:30 pm. Osbourn Park hasn't forgotten their December 17th loss at the buzzer. Coleman spoke to the importance of the game.

"We feel like they stole one from us, and we have to get that game back. It’s about getting that fourth conference victory." 

For more on OP basketball, keep it tuned here and follow them on Twitter at @OPJackethoops. 

Osbourn Park basketball would like thank their sponsors of the 2021-22 season:

USMC Memoriam - Joseph Dwyer

Senior Spotlight: Logan Dwyer

(photo via Amber Bonner)

I gave some love to the underclassmen (RJ Jones, Trey Terrell) to start the Player Spotlight series, but now it's time to shine some light on the seniors, starting with guard Logan Dwyer. Dwyer recently stole the show on Senior Night versus Osbourn with a game-winning three, and now I talk to him about things on and off the court.

When did you discover basketball?

      I started playing basketball around six years old. I played at this church near my house because it was the only place that young kids could play at. I started playing travel basketball in third grade and stayed with it ever since.

      Who did you look up to and/or model your game after?

      I would say two players I looked up where Michael Jordan and Larry Bird because I just love going back and watching their highlights and how they toy with the defenders. The stories about them are even better, about how they used to drop 40 just because somebody talked trash to them and played with their left hand because they wanted to save their right for the playoffs.

      Favorite team/player?

      I don’t consistently have a favorite player or team. However, one of my favorite teams of all time was the 2012-2013 Miami Heat. I had just started to fall in love with basketball and seeing those guys compete together like they did was special to me.

      What is your proudest moment as a player?

      My shot versus Osbourn last Friday on Senior Night. I've never what happened experienced anything like that Osbourn game. A seventeen point game versus Stonewall my freshman year to get us into regionals made me proud- but it didn’t have the immediate impact that hitting that game winner had.

  What goals did you set for yourself on the court this year?

      My goals on the court this year were to first win the district, then the region, then the state as should be everyone’s goals, but I also want to receive first team and player of the year for our district.

      What would success be for this year's squad?

      Success for this year’s squad would be to make a deep run into the regional tournament.

      What goals did you set for yourself in the classroom? 

      My goals for the classroom are the same as they’ve always been: get straight A’s.

      Favorite class and why?

      My favorite class is physics because I love all the real-world applications it has, plus it makes sense in my head.

      Least Favorite class and why?

      My least favorite class is Spanish because learning a new language is time consuming and time is something I don’t have a lot of. 

      What's your least favorite part/aspect of the basketball season?

      My least favorite part of basketball season is how little sleep I get. We practice at night, so we don’t get home until 9:30 or other times 10 o'clock. We still must eat, shower and do homework before getting up early the next day. 

      Did you feel any added pressure to be a leader as a senior this year? How do you view your role?

      I do feel added pressure this year because I know I can’t just go out on the court and play basketball. I must make sure that everyone is doing their job and is in the right positions. It was difficult to adjust to this at first, but I believe I have a good grasp of my role and how I can best execute it.

      How would you describe the team's energy?

      The team’s energy has its ups and downs. I think sometimes we forget how lucky we are to playing basketball, and we focus on the little things that make us mad. However, we are a very close group and will always be the first to defend and cheer for our teammates.

      Hobbies off the court? 

      Off the court I like to golf, fish, do stupid things with my friends, etc.

     Do you have any talents most people wouldn't know?

      I don’t have any special talents, but an interesting fact about me is that I can’t whistle.

      Have you decided where you are going to college? If so, what was the biggest reason you chose said school?

      I haven’t decided where I want to go to school year, but I have applied to UVA, Virginia Tech, JMU, Clemson, High Point, University of Chicago, University of Penn, Georgia, NC State, UNC, George Mason, and Penn State.

      Thought on the coaching staff?

      The coaching staff is great. They make sure that we have all the tools we need to be successful and allow us to lead the team with guidance from them. They devote a lot of their life to the team, and I know all of us are grateful for that.

      How would you describe the culture of basketball since you've been playing at OP? 

      The culture of OP has definitely changed a lot. My freshman year we had people on the basketball teams that weren’t interested or excited to play basketball. This led to a lot of division and lack of effort. However, that has changed. Every level is filled with teams of people who want to play basketball and get better. The closeness of the team has improved the energy of it.

      Thoughts on the 7-5 start?

       I think we should definitely have a better record, but we lost some games early on that we shouldn’t have. Since then we were able to learn from them and bounce back.

  What should fans expect versus an undefeated Patriot team Tuesday night? 

      Tomorrow is definitely going to be a tough one against a good Patriot team. I think if we play our game the way we know how to play it, it will turn out in our favor.

For more on OP basketball, keep it tuned here and follow them on Twitter @OPJackethoops. 

Osbourn Park basketball would like to thank their sponsors for the 2021-22 season: 

USMC Memoriam - Joseph Dwyer

 

Dwyer's Late Heroics Lift OP Over Osbourn on Senior Night

Senior guard Logan Dwyer came up clutch with this three-point shot to give OP the win over Osbourn on Senior Night. 

(photo via Amber Bonner)

Riding high off of a convincing win versus Gainesville Wednesday night, OP looked to build off it at home Friday night versus Osbourn. They did just that, winning 54-51 in thrilling fashion. 

Before the game started, Osbourn Park recognized their senior players: Logan Dwyer, Daniel Salguero and Malcolm Bilal. The energy in the gymnasium was palpable, and both the home side and visitor side had equally impressive turnouts. 

OP got things off to a strong start with a 10-4 lead early forcing an early Osbourn timeout. The Eagles would close the gap and got the score to within one point at 10-9 to end the first quarter. 

Osbourn Park seniors Logan Dwyer, Daniel Salguero and Malcolm Bilal were recognized on Senior Night prior to their game versus Osbourn. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Sophomore guard Tay Faison picked up his second foul with1:33 left in the first half, putting Osbourn in the bonus and sending junior guard Idris Johnson to the free-throw line. Thirty seconds later, OP center Josh Okuadido would pick up his second foul and give sophomore Teyvien Barbour a chance to knock down two free throws to put Osbourn ahead 25-24. Osbourn park would regroup with a timeout immediately. Osbourn would eventually head into halftime, up 27-24. 

Barbour continued his strong play, finishing a layup and drawing a foul to get three the hard way and give his team a 35-32 lead in the third quarter. The game would be  a heavyweight slugfest throughout, with neither team leading by more than six at any time. Just as soon as one side would gather momentum, the other would march right back to get it within one possession. Osbourn Park would head into the final quarter down 38-33. 

Sophomore Trey Terrell would lead all OP scorers with 20. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Sophomore Yellow Jackets guard Trey Terrell would play a big role in the win, hitting a three and finishing a layup to knot things up at 41 and forcing Osbourn to call a timeout. Twenty seconds later, fellow sophomore Tay Faison would hit one of two free throws to put OP up 42-41 with 5:22 left in the game. 

Terrell would continue to dazzle when at one point he saved a ball from going out of bounds and in the process delivered a perfect no-look pass to Faison for a layup that put OP up 48-44, forcing yet another Osbourn timeout which would come into play at the end of the game. Terrell would finish the game leading OP with 20 points, while chipping in 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 rebounds. Faison would continue his stretch of strong play, pouring in 15 points, 6 rebounds with 1 assist and 1 steal. He'd go 5-6 from the field and 3-4 from beyond the arc. 

Before the home crowd could get comfortable, the Eagles took a 50-48 lead, thanks to a steal leading to three points and a long rebound leading to an eventual and-one opportunity. 

Daniel Salguero would soon pick up his fifth foul and exit the game. Freshman RJ Jones would replace him. Idris Johnson would once again be sent to the charity stripe, giving his team a 51-49 lead. Hope was not lost however, when Trey Terrell came up with a huge steal late. He'd get the ball to Jones who would thread a nice assist to Logan Dwyer, tying the game at 51 with 18.6 to go. 

Sophomore Tay Faison's last three games have seen him average 12.6 points, 5 rebounds and 4.6 steals. (photo via Amber Bonner)

That would not be the end of Dwyer's night. After OP's defense forced a five second call against Osbourn, Tay Faison would handle the ball, driving towards the lane. As the Eagles defense converged on him, he kicked the ball to an open Dwyer. Logan sank the three-pointer to give OP a 54-51 lead. With no timeouts remaining, Osbourn would have to rush an inbounds pass in and miss a halfcourt shot attempt as time expired. I spoke to Dwyer after the dust had settled. 

“It was a great feeling. It was my first time experiencing anything like that. When everyone jumped on top of me after I hit that shot, a rush of emotions ran through my body."

Dwyer was 0-4 from three prior to hitting the final salvo. I asked him about his mentality in that situation. 

"I give credit to my coaches and teammates, because they’re always there to support me even when I’m not hitting my shots.”

Dwyer's 6 assists led OP. Other leaders included Josh Okuadido with 9 rebounds and Daniel Salguero with 4 steals. The team shot a remarkable 9-19 (47%) from three, and only had 8 turnovers to Osbourn's 15. 

I caught up with head coach Jeremy Coleman after the game. 

"Tonight was another solid team win. We knew Osbourn was disciplined and well-prepared. We did not want them to dictate the tempo or flow. In the face of a high pressure situation, I'm proud of how my guys responded. They weren't nervous and completed their assignment. I'm proud of our execution in the fourth- especially that inbounds play on defense. I'm happy to earn another conference win as we continue to gain confidence."

The win moves Osbourn Park to 7-4 (3-2) as they travel to face the 7-5 Riverside Rams at 12:30 on Saturday. 

For more on Yellow Jackets basketball, keep it tuned here and follow them on Twitter @OPJacketshoops. 

Osbourn Park would like to thank their sponsors for the 2021-22 season: 

 

USMC Memoriam - Joseph Dwyer

Osbourn Park Bounces Back Versus Gainesville

The Yellow Jackets come together right before tipoff. (photo via Amber Bonner)

After a disappointing loss to Battlefield in their first game back after winter break, Osbourn Park was looking for a way to forget it. The Yellow Jackets washed that bad taste out of their mouth with an ice cold cup of victory versus Gainesville Tuesday night, winning 74-57. 

Much like against Battlefield, OP and Gainesville were neck and neck at first. OP wasn't able to break away, leading 15-14 at the end of the first quarter. 

Senior guard Logan Dwyer led the team with 21 points. (photo via Amber Bonner)

OP looked to be gaining momentum halfway through the second quarter when things got bizarre. OP senior guard Daniel Salguero followed up a three-pointer with a slashing layup to put his team up 23-20. On the ensuing play, a Gainesville player was fouled while driving to the basket. Having just knocked down his first free throw, officials paused the game to go over the score. They removed 3 points from Osbourn Park's total, awarded Gainesville the first free throw which put them up 21-20,  and drew the ire of the Yellow Jacket coaches and fans. 

I spoke to OP head coach Jeremy Coleman about the incident and his players' handling of it. 

"They responded instead of reacting. Reacting would have kept the scoring debacle on our minds and off the assignment at hand. We made the decision as a team that we would make those points up by turning up the heat on defense and making sure that the point swing didn't factor into the final score."

Sophomore guard Trey Terrell was second with 17 points and added 5 steals with 3 assists. (photo via Amber Bonner)

Senior guard Logan Dwyer also chimed in. 

"The score confusion was annoying, but I just wanted the game to continue because we were in a groove and didn't want anything to stop that."

Dwyer was in a groove all night, leading Osbourn Park with 21 points on 8-14 shooting (2-3 from three) with three rebounds, three assists and two steals. 

Play would resume, and a Daniel Salguero three gave OP a 27-24 lead, forcing Gainesville to call a timeout with 2:57 to go. With just over a minute to go, Logan Dwyer drew a charge to ensure OP would go into the half with the lead. 

If there was any worry how they'd respond in the third quarter, OP left no doubts. Gainesville called another timeout at 5:22, but it wouldn't cool off the blue and yellow. Sophomore guard Trey Terrell found Salguero for another three-pointer, and on the next possession dropped a dime to junior big man Josh Okuadido to force the home team to call a timeout with 4:01 left in the third. Terrell would finish with 17 points, 5 steals and 3 assists. Ninety seconds later, OP increased the lead to nine and ending up outscoring the Cardinals 20-8. 

OP only outscored Gainesville by two in the fourth, but ended up with a comfortable 17 point cushion. An unsung hero for the team was the energy of the bench, cheering on big plays and being an unofficial sixth man as Osbourn Park forced multiple turnovers. 

Sophomore guard Tay Faison left an indelible mark on the game, filling the stat sheet with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals and one assist. 

Sophomore Tay Faison finished with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals and one assist. (photo via Amber Bonner)

"Tonight was a great bounce back win," said Jeremy Coleman. "Last night at Battlefield presented adversity and an opportunity to learn and grow- or fold. My guys chose to learn and grow. Gainesville has some really good young talent. We relied on our experienced guards and aggressive play from our bigs to capitalize on Gainesville's mistakes. We now have two days of practice to prepare for a tough home game against Osbourn."

Osbourn Park would finish with four players in double figures (Dwyer's 21, Terrell's 17, Faison and Salguero's 10 apiece). 

Logan Dwyer reflected on the game as a whole. 

"After coming back from a long break, we didn't play our best basketball against Battlefield. That gave us fuel tonight going into this game. We weren't going to let it happen again. Our shots were dropping and we got comfortable with our game as the energy rose. Good basketball is fun basketball."

Osbourn Park moves to 6-4 on the season and 2-0 versus Gainesville. They return to the court Friday night at home for Senior Night when they host Osbourn (8-6) at 7:30 pm. 

For more on Osbourn Park, keep it tuned here for recaps and player spotlights. Follow them on Twitter @OPJacketshoops. 

Osbourn Park would like to thank their sponsors for the 2021-2022 season: 

USMC Memoriam - Joseph Dwyer