HS Boys Basketball: Grand Oaks Reigns Over Their Home Floor Following Win Against College Park

SPRING, TX -- The Grand Oaks Grizzlies defended their home floor against the reigning District-Champion College Park Cavaliers in a 66-56 ride for early control of 13-6A.

Before the matchup, meticulous planning on Grand Oaks’ part prepared the team for an opponent known state-wide for their tremendous play.

In an exclusive interview with The Woodlands Online Sports, Grand Oaks Head Coach Anthony Stephens spoke on how his boys were ready before tipoff.

“We’ve seen some of the toughest in the state,” said Stephens. “This was just going to be another game. In the same way, we have to be ready and prepared to beat them, they have to be ready and prepared to beat us.”

With students and fans packed into the Grand Oaks High School gym, the anticipated duel between two of 13-6A’s top contenders started with an intense battle of defensive prowess.

Lengthy possessions from both teams highlighted the quick feet and active hands-on display from defenders trying to keep their side of the floor clean. This fierce energy between passing lanes and in front of ballhandlers put pressure on offensive possessions.

College Park’s method of breaking the defensive hold was to drive inside and draw fouls on shots near the basket. These early fouls rewarded the Cavs with points from the charity stripe while putting important Grizzlies into foul trouble.

Grand Oaks’ method of poking the College Park defense for openings was similarly methodical, but not as effective. Quick passes around the perimeter of the defense tried to catch defenders off guard, but each pass recipient was faced with a relentless Cavalier defender.

Driving aggressively to the baseline and finding shooters on the opposite side of the floor solved Grand Oaks' problems. The open shooters were there and the shots started to fall in the Grizzlies' favor.

More shots from the free throw line kept the Cavs from slipping away, and a tie at 17 at the end of the first quarter punctuated the balanced feel of the opening eight minutes that saw five ties.

A barrage of threes tried to break the stalemate to start the second quarter, but neither team found their stroke. Pull-up shots in the first seconds of possessions gave little time for the offenses to operate.

College Park’s 5-0 run through two minutes seemed to be the breakaway the team needed, but their attempt was short-lived due to a responding surge from the Grizzlies that tied the teams again.

Fortunately for Grand Oaks, their run continued past the tie and carried into a lead-taking 14-0 run.

Repeated attempts by the Cavs to break the Grizzly scoring were met with an increasingly stingy defense that parlayed into fast offense to increase the Grand Oaks lead. Timeouts, substitutions, and layup attempts were ineffective in breaking the longest run of the game by the Grizzlies.

“We had to be there on all of their catches,” said Stephens to his defense. “[College Park] is a high-powered team that averages a lot of points. As long as we are there on every catch and get open looks, they aren’t going to hit their average.”

The Cavaliers eventually broke Grand Oaks’ stranglehold by feeding the inside of the paint for layups and more free throws. But, the damage of the half-ending run from the Grizzlies left College Park questioning how they would overcome the 36-29 deficit at the half.

The answer to College Park’s questions manifested in working the ball into the paint for easy looks at the rim. Reliable buckets inside quickly clawed the Cavs back into the lead due to the team’s 8-0 opening run.

Grand Oaks’ momentum had shifted firmly away from them. Empty possessions and a mountain of free throws from the Cavs meant the Grizzlies were teetering on the brink of completely losing control.

A timely Grand Oaks make got the team back in motion and a fragile one-point lead bounced between the Cavs and Grizzlies in a balanced affair similar to the first quarter.

“We knew they were going to make a run at it,” said Stephens on College Park. “They are a great team that is going to adjust and may tie or take the lead, but as long as we stay locked in and finish what’s given to us we’ll be fine. The guys bought into that.”

With their scoring reawoken, the Grizzlies started to reestablish the meaningful distance that put the team ahead at the start of the third. Shooters in open space and movement away from the ball put Grand Oaks in advantageous positions.

These scoring opportunities and a three-quarter-court buzzer-beater left Grand Oaks with an opportunity to finish the job and get a crucial win on their home court. Their 56-49 lead with the fourth quarter left was cause to anticipate a strong open to district for the Grizzlies.

College Park’s calm and composed demeanor kept the team in a steady state of mind to open the final eight minutes. The team’s reliance on points inside the paint would keep them within reach, but they needed to stop the Grand Oaks points from increasing the deficit with time against them.

A slow pace on possessions from the Grizzlies ate valuable clock while occasionally leading to Grand Oaks buckets. This combination only added more pressure on the Cavs who were having to make do without Aiden Buckmon as a contributor due to cramps.

College Park’s injuries, and an energized Grand Oaks home crowd, worsened the chances of a comeback. The tandem of misfortune only allowed the Grizzlies to build on their previously slim lead in the face of wavering resistance from the Cavs.

Grand Oaks’ 12-point lead with less than three minutes remaining appeared to be the final nail that would seal College Park’s defeat, but Coach Clifton McNeely was determined to overcome the odds.

A shifty defense and a handful of misses from Grand Oaks dried up the team’s scoring prospects, but College Park’s offensive woes kept the Cavs from challenging the lead with seconds left.

Late fouling to put Grand Oaks at the line was College Park’s final, desperate push to tie the game, but it was too late. The final buzzer and an elated roar from the Grizzly faithful signaled the end of a 66-56 victory for Grand Oaks.

“We cannot get comfortable,” said Stephens following the win. “We have faced adversity and overcome it. When we have success, we can relax and get comfortable, but until then, we have to keep dominating and show up every single day.”

Grand Oaks’ next challenge will be to host a tournament from Thursday into Saturday, with teams from around the area coming to take one another down for the hopeful tournament championship.

College Park’s next chance to secure a win will come on Friday in their road matchup against Good Vision Academy.

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