Video - Oscar Smith Wins at Western Branch 57-51
Oscar Smith jumped out to a 12-0 lead at Western Branch, and though the Bruins made a couple runs to shrink that deficit down, the Tigers never trailed in winning 57-51 on the road against their Chesapeake rival.
Now 6-0 overall, the Tigers - ranked #1 in Group 6A in the latest state rankings - placed three players in double-figures in points. Freshman guard Cameron Thomas scored a team-high 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 8-for-9 at the charity stripe. Senior Trevon 'T.J.' Taylor, who transferred to the program from Salem in the off-season, chipped in 12 points and eight rebounds. The 6'6" Taylor has committed to Virginia State.
Another freshman guard, Andre Bottoms, added 11 points and four assists. Making a major impact on the interior was 6'7" junior center Nyzaiah Chambers, who yanked down a game-best 17 rebounds, one off his career-high.
Chambers added eight points and a pair of blocks with his third quarter dunk capping an 11-0 run that push Oscar Smith's lead up from 19-17 back up to double-digits.
Western Branch, which came in 7-0 overall and ranked #4 in Group 6A, couldn't shake a cold shooting start. The Bruins misfired on 16 of their first 17 field goal attempts. Sophomore guard BriQuan Harrell, who scored 42 of their 68 points in a comeback win over Nansemond River just three days prior, shouldered much of the scoring load once again.
Harrell scored the Bruins' first nine points and finished with 21 points on 8-of-19 shooting. He also had five of their 12 steals as Oscar Smith did have some trouble with the ball pressure applied by Western Branch. They caused the Tigers to commit 20 turnovers. However, that was offset by a 5-for-23 shooting performance from long distance by the Bruins.
Both teams will be in action against Group 3A schools on Saturday with Oscar Smith facing Booker T. Washington in the Greyhound Tip-Off at Norcom High School in Portsmouth, whereas Western Branch plays host to Phoebus in the Bruin Holiday Classic.
Video Interview with Oscar Smith's LaVar Griffin & Nyzaiah Chambers
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