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By Jeff Kessinger (For OzarksSportsZone.com)
There’s not a lot of glamour attached to coming off the bench. But whether you’re a starter or a reserve, the points all count the same.
Top seed Greenwood got 18 points from reserve Victory Naboya, including a crucial putback, to hold off No. 4 Ozark 67-63 in the Gold Division semifinals at JQH Arena. Greenwood, the host school, will play tomorrow night for its second straight championship in the Blue & Gold Tournament.
“He’s an impact player and sometimes it’s really nice when you actually get better off the bench,” Greenwood coach Darren Taylor said. “He brings some energy and some different stuff that the other kids don’t have. Sometimes it’s about rotations and chemistry, and as he plays more with these guys he’ll get better at that.”
Ozark was in the midst of a frantic run, scrapping back from a 14-point halftime deficit, when Naboya got his biggest bucket of the evening. Greenwood was clinging to a 63-62 edge when Tommy Pinegar drew a foul. He missed both tries, but the 6-foot-8 Naboya elevated to grab the rebound and power it home, effectively putting the game out of reach.
While Ozark was doing everything it could to get the upset, Greenwood was struggling to put the game away. It was nearly a lethal combination. The Blue Jays were just 4-for-11 from the foul line in the fourth quarter and struggled to contain Blaine Cline, who scored 11 of his game-high 26 points in that final period.
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“We made horrible decisions with the basketball, we took some shots we shouldn’t have taken and shot our free throws God-awful,” Taylor said. “We let them drive it to the basket without ever stepping in and I don’t think we played well Tuesday, either. But they found a way to survive it.”
Both teams started slow, with Greenwood taking a 12-8 lead after one quarter. But the Blue Jays warmed up in the second. Georgetown-bound Aminu Mohammed sparked a 6-0 run to push the lead to double digits, and a 6-0 run midway through the quarter helped the Jays lead 34-20 at the half.
Ozark didn’t quit, though. The Tigers opened the second half with a 9-4 surge, then got 3-pointers from Cline and Ethan Whatley to close the gap to 43-38 midway through the third quarter. Whatley’s second 3-pointer of the period just beat the buzzer.
Cline’s bucket in the lane with 1:40 to play had Ozark within 63-62 and the Tigers had the ball with a chance to take the lead. But Cline’s 3-pointer was off the mark and Mohammed grabbed the rebound for Greenwood. He missed both of his free throws, but Ozark once again failed to score. They fouled Pinegar before Naboya’s putback put the game away.
Mohammed scored 23 to lead Greenwood, with Naboya’s 18 making him the only other Blue Jay in double figures. Whatley finished with 18 to give Ozark two in double figures as well.
“Any time you’re going to make a run — whether it’s a tournament run, a state tournament run, a conference run — you’ve got to win one where maybe you didn’t play your best game, or you got lucky to win to keep advancing.”
The win also gave seniors like Mohammed, Naboya and Grant Harper a chance to end their Blue & Gold days with another trophy as they head to the second half of the season and pursue a state championship.
“A chance to defend is really big. Hopefully we’ll come out with a little better mindset tomorrow night,” Taylor said.
Box Score
Ozark 8 12 25 18 – 63
Greenwood 12 22 18 15 – 67
Ozark – Blaine Cline 26, Ethan Whatley 14, Kyle Flavin 7, Avery Voysey 6, Tyler Harmon 3, Owen Brockman 3
Greenwood – Aminu Mohammed 23, Victory Naboya 18, Nic Burri 9, Grant Harper 7, Tommy Pinegar 6, Kaden Stuckey 3, Tanner Jones 1
