The Benton Middle School 8th grade basketball team won the Hamilton County Class L Regional on Saturday with a 58-46 victory over the host Foxes. Pictured left to right, bottom row: Jourdan Garbo, Lance Cockrum, Gehrig Wynn, Oliver Davis, Tony Tillman, Parker Williams
Back row l-r: Coach John Cook, Jordan Richey, Hamilton Page, Tyson Houghland, Scott Mosely, Brett Bonenburger, Derek Oxford, Blane Pankey, Austin Wills, and Coach Andy Davis
By Jim Muir
The Benton Middle School 8th grade basketball team made it back-to-back regional titles with a hard-fought 58-46 victory over Hamilton County in the Hamilton County Class L Regional.
The victory improved Benton to 19-4 on the season.
With leading scorer Derek Oxford facing double and triple teams in the contest and also plagued by foul trouble the Junior Rangers rose to the occasion with a terrific team effort, according to coach John Cook.
“I was really impressed with the way our guys stood up to the challenge, “ said Cook. “I give Hamilton County a lot of credit, they are big and physical and they really held Derek (Oxford) in check the first half of the game. Austin Wills and Tyson Houghland really showed a lot of poise and leadership and really picked us up in the biggest game of the season.”
Houghland turned in his best performance of the season with 18 points and an eye-popping 15 rebounds. Wills had 16 points to to with four rebounds, three steals and three assists.
The Junior Rangers raced out to a quick 17-8 first quarter lead but the Foxes clawed back outscoring Benton 13-7 in the second quarter to pull within 24-21 at intermission. Benton hung 20 points on the scoreboard in the third quarter while holding Hamilton County to 12 and took a 44-33 lead into the final quarter of play.
Gehrig Wynn nailed a pair of 3-pointers and Oliver Davis hit a solo trey and Cook pointed to all three shots as keys to the win.
“All three of those 3-pointers came at pivotal times in the game,” said Cook. “When teams play a gimmick defense and key on your leading scorers, it’s shots like those that really define your team. I have said all year that we are not a one-dimensional team and I think we proved it in the regional championship game.”
Even though Oxford was facing a variety of defenses geared to slow him down he still scored 17 – four points below his average and the first time in 11 games he was below the 20-point plus mark. The 17 points by Oxford pushed him beyond the 1,000 point mark for his BMS career – a record achievement at the junior high level.
Cook said the regional title coupled with the stellar achievement and milestone by Oxford, and both events celebrated on the road, made for an emotional Saturday morning.
“Derek being honored at McLeansboro for his 1,000th point was a great moment. Being able to celebrate a regional championship and seeing him recognized for an outstanding achievement all in the same day is something I will never forget,” said Cook. “Derek was able to do that in front of family and friends and our biggest crowd of the season.”
The fact that Oxford’s achievements were recognized on the road was also a high point for Cook.
“I want to thank Clint Winemiller (Hamilton County athletic director) for the kind words he said about Derek,” said Cook. “Hamilton County was very accomodating and their fans were very classy with the reception they gave for our team. It was just a special day.”
BMS scoring is as follows: Houghland, 18, Oxford 17, Wills 16, Wynn 6, Davis 3. Also seeing action for Benton was Blane Pankey, Hamilton Page, Jordan Richey and Scott Mosely.
BMS will now move into Elite Eight action at Rend Lake College where they will face the winner of the Carmi-White County Regional in a 12 noon game on Saturday, Feb. 9. Benton will face either Mt. Carmel or Olney who will play Monday night.
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