Second-Half Explosion Propels Eagles into Regional Championship

The fans packed the Osbourn High School bleachers early, filling the seats well before game time. The faithful fans and proud members of the community knew what was at stake as the Eagles prepared to take on Patrick Henry in the semi-finals of the Northwest Region tournament.

After getting knocked out of the tournament last year by Patrick Henry, Osbourn had one thing on their mind— revenge. The crowd was anxious and started to get fired up before the game even started.

When the game finally got under way, the Eagle faithful were buzzing all game long as the players battled their hearts out. And not only did Osbourn get revenge on Patrick Henry Friday night, but they did it in very convincing fashion as they topped the Patriots, 80-46.

 The first quarter started with Osbourn scoring a quick lay-up off of the opening tip as Izzy Freeman tapped the ball to his teammate who took it in for an easy two. Patrick Henry would answer though as they started the game shooting very well from long distance. The Patriots had some very solid shooters who were routinely knocking down long-range shots, even with defenders in their faces.

The Eagles fired right back and used good ball movement and quickness to create open looks at the basket. The first quarter was a see-saw battle between the two teams and the fans were hyped up on both sides of the gym.

After a well-played first quarter by both teams, the score was knotted at 14.

Osbourn fans really came alive in the second quarter and the team responded. The Eagle offense kept it rolling in the second, but the Patriots were hanging tough. Patrick Henry relied mostly on their ability to knock down long-range jumpers as they remained hot for most of the first half.

Osbourn opened up an 11-point lead towards the end of the second and it looked like they would go into half time with a healthy advantage. But Patrick Henry point guard, Marcus Banks had other ideas: he sank back-to-back three pointers right before the half which cut Osbourn’s lead to five points.

The Eagles came out at the start of the second half and immediately took control and never looked back. Junior guard, Jay Lane hit three straight three-pointers early in the  half as Osbourn opened the period on an 11-2 run.

The Eagles’ offense was hitting on all cylinders and everyone on the court was contributing greatly. After remaining hot from long range the majority of the first half, Patrick Henry could not get anything to fall in the third quarter as Osbourn applied plenty of pressure to the team's shooters.

After a dominant third quarter in which Osbourn outscored Patrick Henry, 26-4 the Eagles would take a 61-35 lead into the fourth.

Osbourn continued to dominate in the fourth period as the offense continued to pour it on. The Eagles put on a clinic in the second half: the scoring was very balanced and the defense was relentless.

The Osbourn fans really helped to fire up the team and it was evident as the players were showing great intensity, creating multiple turnovers on defense and scoring at will on the offensive end. It was obvious that the Eagles were playing with a chip on their shoulder after losing to Patrick Henry last year. There is no doubt the Patriots will forget the second-half pounding  Osbourn gave them.

When the final buzzer echoed throughout the gym, the fans erupted and players embraced one another as the Eagles had just won by a final of 80-46, catapulting them into the regional championship game and securing a spot in the state tournament as well.

The leading performers in the game were:

--Jay Lane with 16 points (all in the second half)

--Robert Carter with 14 points

--Corey Bedford with 14 points

--Izzy Freeman with 13 points and 14 rebounds

--Cedric Delaney with 11 points and 9 assists

--Jahaan Roberson with 11 points

The Eagles also received great defensive performances from Lucky Whitehead and Landon Dufrene. The fact that Osbourn gets significant contribution from multiple players makes them an extremely tough team to match up with. As long as the Eagles continue to work together on the offensive end and play relentless defense the way they have been, the sky is the limit for the powerhouse team.

Osbourn will be looking to continue their playoff run as they will host  Potomac Saturday night at 7 p.m. The teams will be playing for the regional championship, but regardless of the outcome, both squads have already earned a spot in the AAA state tournament.