Osceola improves to 9-0 with win over Rivercrest

WILSON - The Osceola Seminoles kept their conference record clean with a 66-55 win over the Rivercrest Colts at Rivercrest Gym on Thursday.

The triumph over Rivercrest improved Osceola’s conference record to 9-0, giving them some breathing room in first place. It was an all-around team effort, as eight different 'Noles contributed points. Tyler Bell helped steer the victory with 15 points. AJ Brown was right behind him with 14 points for Osceola. Donovan Littleton and Jeriyan Long also ended the night in double figures, with 11 and 10 points respectively. Rivercrest’s Jarirus Byrd and Asier Burks each scored 16 to lead the Colts, with Buddah Harris tallying 11 points and Cavonta Washington posting 10 in the loss.

It was a bit of a slow scoring start for both teams. Both sides came out aggressive, though, as Harris attempted a poster slam over his defender on the first possession. The emphatic dunk attempt set the tone for the highly-competitive contest. Harris continued pressing the issue after that miss and knocked down a deep ball. He led the Colts with five first-quarter points. Littleton got off to a hot start for the Noles, scoring their first points and ending the quarter with seven points. Neither team could separate themselves as the first quarter ended 13-13.

Scoring action picked up in the second quarter. The Colts collected the next eight points, but Tyrese James ended the short-lived scoring run by scoring down low. The Colts returned fire and made it 23-15. The Noles moved the ball well and got everyone involved to get themselves back into it, stringing together a 12-4 run. Kash Span got himself on the board by hitting a three-point shot. Bell took it to the cup to score and found Long in the post during the run. Their teamwork helped Osceola respond to Rivercrest’s early surge in the quarter, but Byrd ramped it up, driving inside and scoring through contact to complete a three-point play. He scored 12 second-quarter points and set up Burks multiple times to assist his eight points during the period. Byrd catapulted the Colts into the second half with a buzzer-beating three-point shot that put them ahead 35-31.

Byrd and Burks resumed their effectiveness in the third quarter, as Byrd ripped the ball away for an easy score in transition, and Burks scored a pair of looks on the low block. Osceola stayed afloat, as Brown drove baseline then floated it over the defense. A few moments later, his three-point make tied the game 41-41. Despite the success, Osceola had trouble rebounding. Able to get three shots off during one possession, the Colts were killing them on the glass. The Noles received production from their depth, effectively putting fresh legs in as seven players scored during the quarter. Jeremiah Jacobs checked in and scored by spinning off his defender and hop-stepping into the paint to score. Span scored his second bucket of the night to aid Brown’s seven-point quarter and the play of Osceola’s bench helped them end the quarter leading 50-48.

Osceola optimized their advantage by trapping at half court and bringing pressure early in the final period. Rivercrest looked winded and turned it over trying to pass out of the Seminoles double teams. Osceola’s starters came back in and appeared fresh, cutting off passing lanes and pushing the pace. They reclaimed the backboards and began scoring second chance points of their own. Bell scored after Jacobs stole the ball, and Long hit a 12-footer to make the score 58-50. The Colts gained a huge spark when Harris stole the ball and had a clear lane, delivering the emphatic dunk he was looking for at the start. The score made it 58-55 with less than four minutes remaining. Osceola scored off another offensive rebound, got another steal, and Bell scored again. The Seminoles would keep the Colts scoreless the rest of the way to win by the final 11-point margin.

Osceola head Coach Bryanth Basemore thinks his team can learn a lot from the comeback. “They were more physical than us in the first half, and I told our guys we were gonna have to start playing basketball. We failed to secure rebounds we should’ve had in the first half. That comes down to a lack of effort. We cleaned that up in the second half and got the win. This served as a good learning experience going into our matchup with them next week.”

The Colts sit in fourth place in the 3A-3 conference at 5-4 after the loss. Both teams played Friday before Tuesday's rematch at Osceola.