Oak Hills Men’s Basketball fell short on Saturday night in a hard-fought 43-40 battle loss to Princeton. Despite holding their ground most of the 1st half and leading they couldn’t hold off Princeton’s late surge in the 2nd half. The Highlanders started strong,
This picture is from weareoakhills’ Instagram. The Highlanders dominated the first quarter with a 15-6 lead, sharp 3-point shooting, and tight defense put Oak Hills in control early on. By halftime, the Highlanders were up 20-11, maintaining their defensive pressure and slowing Princeton’s offense.
The game shifted in the third quarter when Princeton began to rally. Oak Hills struggled to keep momentum as turnovers and missed free throws started to pile up. Princeton’s A’mire Gill, a sophomore, took control of the game, helping his team outscore Oak Hills 15-7 in the third quarter. In the final quarter, Princeton’s offense capitalized on its growing momentum, outscoring Oak Hills 17-13 and clinching the narrow victory.
Henry Maginn, senior, led the Oak Hills offense, which scored 11 points, and Nate Reip, senior, added 10. The Highlanders’ impressive FG% from beyond the 3pt line kept them in the game shooting 9-17, but struggles at the free-throw line proved costly shooting 1-6. Turnovers were another struggle for the Highlanders giving the ball away 18 times. Players coming off the bench were a bright spot for the team, Max Rhodes, junior, contributed eight points in the loss including two clutch 3-pointers, despite these efforts the Highlanders couldn’t overcome Princeton’s strong finish.
Oak Hills had moments of brilliance on defense, forcing 13 turnovers and holding Princeton to just 50% shooting from the free-throw line. However, Princeton’s defense was equally aggressive, grabbing 13 steals and making key plays when it mattered.
With the loss Oak Hills falls to 6-4 on the season with hopes to still finish at the top of the GMC, they will be back in action this Tuesday vs. Colerain continuing their conference schedule.
