Senior Girls Hoopsters Say Goodbye

They didn't get the outcome they wanted and they probably wish they had a few more wins to show for a hard fought season. But four senior girls were feted like champions before Tuesday night's game against Notre Dame-Fairfield.

Jordyn Tolomeo, Rhiannon Bacik, Tiffany Nieves and Emily Yish were given cheers, rounds of applause, flowers to hand to their parents and minature replicas of their respective jerseys at half-court just before tipoff. Heck, fans even put their pictures on Popsicle sticks and held them high in the stands, and underclassmen teammates said something nice about each graduate.  

It was a great moment for Oxford sports as the school, fans and families recognized the seniors who led a team that struggled to get wins this year but seldom stopped playing hard.

Oxford finished its season with a 4-16 mark and at one point on Tuesday, it appeared as if the team may get a win on senior night Tuesday against the 11-8 Lancers. The Wolverines rallied from a deficit to bring the score within two points in the third quarter thanks to big shots by Tolomeo, sophomore post player Taylor Drayton and junior Jackie Ortiz, a point guard known more for her overall game than for her outside shooting prowess. Ortiz showed she could hit shots when needed, nailing two big three pointers, including one for the highlight reels in which she faded away from the basket immediately following a steal.

But Notre Dame pulled away in the fourth quarter behind clutch shooting from Bianca Bell, who led her team with 15 points. Notre Dame eventually came away with a 54-44 victory.

Tolomeo led Oxford with 19 points. The all-time leading scorer in the short history of the Oxford girls program with just shy of 600 points for her career, Tolomeo knocked down a final shot that Wolverine fans won't soon forget She spotted up from at least five feet behind the three point line - an area known in basketball circles as "NBA 3-point land" - and confidently let got a smooth jump shot. Swish! It was a great shot to end a fantastic career for the co-captain.

Drayton had 13 points for Oxford, while Ortiz added eight. Bacik and Nieves scored two apiece to round out Oxford's scoring on the night.