HS Boys Basketball: Scoring Surge and 1,000 Career Point Mark Pushes Grizzlies to Home-Floor Victory

SPRING, TX -- An intense battle between the Grand Oaks Grizzlies (1-1) and Klein Collins Tigers (0-2) saw defenses take center-court in a 71-52 win for the hosting Grizzlies.

A loud and energetic crowd did not leave following the Lady Grizzlies’ win against Foster minutes prior. Instead, they decided to cheer on the tip-off of Grand Oaks’ anticipated matchup against the Tigers.

The lively home crowd eagerly welcomed the Grizzlies to the floor along with the team’s new Head Coach Anthony Stephens. Tuesday night represented the fan’s first look at Stephens since taking over the position and they were fired up for the first-year’s home debut.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Coach Stephens spoke on how the program and fanbase have welcomed a coach taking over in his first year.

“I thought there was excitement and anticipation,” said Stephens. “It was a great occasion with Tre [Lewis] getting 1,000 career points, but it was a good environment to play in.”

Grand Oaks’ opening saw the team surge to a strong 7-0 run for early momentum. The team fed on the many Klein Collins turnovers, which led to multiple fastbreak opportunities.

But despite the easy looks in the open floor, the Grizzlies failed to build any traction through their traditional offense. Quick ball movement around the perimeter and rebound from the lanky bigs set Grand Oaks up for efficient looks, but the ball rarely found the bottom of the net.

The door was open for the Tigers to climb back into the game with a run of their own, putting up six unanswered in response to Grand Oaks’ lead.

Both teams would battle each other over a marginal lead for the remainder of the first quarter, with the Grizzlies holding a slight edge. This light margin was held mostly due to the impressive defense put on by both teams that limited looks from inside the arch.

A combination of the strong opening and a positive rebounding margin kept the Grizzlies in control with the first quarter closing. The team’s 15-13 lead was among the smallest leads of the quarter, but both Grand Oaks and Klein Collins knew that a battle of attrition would leave one team lightly edging out the other.

“We had to keep it simple,” reminded Stephens during the close moments. “Guys had to be ready for their moment. When we go the bench, it can’t drop off.”

Klein Collins opened the second quarter with a minor run that snagged the team’s first lead of the night, but it was shortlived due to perimeter shooting from the Grizzlies.

Each basket became a precious commodity for both teams. A make for Grand Oaks stretched the team’s incredibly thin lead, while a make for the Tigers inched the team closer toward swinging the momentum to their side.

Turnovers and frequent fouls made up a majority of the play through the bulk of the second quarter. Neither team strung together a run of more than one make throughout the eight minutes of play, leaving the score uncharacteristically low for the two high-flying teams.

Luckily for the Grizzlies, their ability to turn Tiger mistakes into points kept the team afloat as the seconds ticked by.

“We turned them over a lot but didn’t capitalize all the time,” said Stephens. “But when we did, we were able to stretch the lead. We kept it simple with layups in transition, but when we started jacking open shots because of that anticipation in the gym, it got away from us. But we had to play smart and with each other to set up the right plays.”

Disrupting the passing lanes and getting runners down the floor allowed Grand Oaks to cash in three straight fastbreaks for the longest run of the quarter.

This new wave of scoring propelled the Grizzlies to their largest lead of the night going into the half. The 31-23 lead provided some comfort for Grand Oaks, but they could not afford to coast against the scrappy Tigers through the second half.

Adjustments in the locker rooms ultimately resulted in much of the same play that defined the first half repeating into the second.

Turnovers and multiple early empty possessions saw the Tigers slip further away on the scoreboard, while Grand Oaks still suffered from a handful of miscues that kept the team from creating significant distance.

Luckily for the Grizzlies, they did enough to maintain their lead without it coming into question at any point in the third.

Klein Collins’ possessions started to see more meaningful production, but it was not nearly enough to take a significant bite into the 13-point Grand Oaks lead. Even a 6-0 Tiger run was swept away by more Grizzly makes near the rim.

Grand Oaks’ control of the third quarter came to a head in the final seconds, with the team putting on a 5-0 run to end the quarter. The three-pointer and inside layup combination reestablished their 13-point lead going into the fourth, putting more pressure on the still-staggering Tigers.

“I think it was a stepping stone,” said Stephens on the lead. “I want to put the hammer to the nail and put the game to bed. I don’t want our opponents to feel like they have an opportunity to get back in the game.”

The fight that kept Klein Collins in the contest during the third quarter carried the team into the fourth on a strong opening run.

The Tigers gave Grand Oaks a taste of their own medicine by forcing back-to-back turnovers into made layups before hitting a three to make it a 7-2 Klein Collins run to start the final eight minutes.

A timeout from Coach Stephens tried to stop the bleeding early, but an increased air of tension started to linger inside the previously jovial Grand Oaks gym.

With their lead down to single digits for the first time in two quarters, the Grizzlies needed to jumpstart their offense if they hoped to escape with the win.

Ice-cold focus from the free-throw line proved to be the main provider for Grand Oaks in their closing effort. Near perfection from the charity stripe allowed the tired Grizzlies to rest during the intense moments while giving the team more opportunities to re-extend their lead.

Grand Oaks’ late production, including crucial points from Tre Lewis eclipsing the 1,000 career point mark, saw the Grizzlies push their lead to 20 with three minutes left.

“I kept telling our guys to trust the process. Run the offense and you’ll get your open looks,” said Stephens. “They trusted and that kept us locked in.”

Time was running out for the Tigers if they hoped to overcome the double-digit Grizzly lead, but more scoreless possessions in the face of Grand Oaks’ massive lead proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

Play from substitutes gave valuable experience to the Grizzly role players on their way to securing a 71-52 win for the home squad.

“I think this win helps the culture of the school,” said Stephens. “There were a lot of people in the building. I believe our guys showed out and put on a good show so that the next home game comes with even more anticipation and excitement that will hopefully get people in seats.”

The next opportunity for the Grizzlies to tally a win will be on the road against Tomball Memorial on Friday night.

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