WEST POINT, Ala. — The West Point Warriors hosted the Oakman Wildcats in their home opener Tuesday night, and it was a closely contested game between both teams, but unfortunately for the Warrior fans, Oakman would end up taking the win from West Point 68-63.
Jay Lamar found his shooting stroke from deep to start out the game as he drilled a trio of treys to give West Point a 9-2 lead. A rebound and put-back by J.D. Cochran pushed the Warrior lead to 11-4 and Lamar’s fourth three made it 14-5. Oakman went on a quick run to cut the West Point lead to 14-10. A Lamar jumper made it 16-10, but the Wildcats scored the final six points of the quarter as both teams went into the second quarter tied up at 16 apiece.
Oakman carried their momentum from the end of the first quarter into the second as they ended up grabbing a 23-19 lead with 4:19 remaining in the first half. Lamar continued his red-hot shooting in the first half, scoring the next five points, including a huge and-one, as that cut it to 25-23 with 2:38 left to go in the first half. West Point tied it up at 26 at the half on a layup by Parker Marks.
Both teams traded baskets early on in the third quarter to keep the score tied up at 30, but another huge run by Oakman saw them take a 38-30 lead with 4:11 remaining in the third quarter. A Wildcat three made it 41-32, but the Warriors started to cut into the deficit. A basket down low by Cochran and a pair of Lamar free throws made it a 41-36 game. Lamar hit yet another three and Cochran added another basket down low to cut it to 43-41, but a late basket by Oakman made it 45-41 going into the final quarter.
Cochran and Jacob Harbison each hit a basket down low to tie the game up at 45. That would be the first of several ties in the fourth quarter as both sides were on the edge of their seats the whole time. A pair of Lamar free throws tied the game up at 52, but an 8-0 run by Oakman gave them a 60-52 lead. The Warriors again clawed their way back into the game as a Cochran basket down low and free throws by Lamar and Branden Burtis made it a 60-57 game with a little over a minute to go in the contest. The Wildcats pushed their lead to 64-57, but layups by Ashton Rodgers and Marks cut it to 64-61 with 16 seconds left to go in the game. A Kanaan Sutter layup made it 66-63, but a pair of Oakman free throws helped seal their 68-63 win over West Point.
Lamar finished with a game-high 31 points and a pair of steals for West Point (1-1). Cochran added 11 points, 11 rebounds, and a pair of steals. Rodgers ended up with six points and two steals. Sutter added four points and 11 rebounds. Marks ended up with four points and two steals. Aiden Dujoud finished with four points. Harbison added two points and Burtis chipped in with a point as well.
West Point will host Hanceville on Christopher Owens Night Friday.
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