Tuesday night (Dec. 7) saw Oneida defeat Oakdale in a non-district game. The final was 72-50.
The Indians struggled throughout most of the game. Several key mistakes were made; luckily those did not cost Oneida the game. They did, however, keep the Indians from building a more comfortable lead over the Eagles.
One of the biggest problems the Indians faced was turnovers. Oneida allowed Oakdale numerous takeaways, giving the Eagles opportunities for extra points.
Mason Keeton stepped up, with a total of 23 points scored. He was Oneida's overall top scorer. Keeton is only a sophomore but has been a key factor in the Indians' success this season. He effectively moves the ball and finishes well.
Oneida is still missing some players that were getting valuable minutes in games. Jacob Perry, a junior, and sophomore Gavin Keeton were both unable to play in Tuesday's win over Oakdale. It has not been said when either one of the boys will return, but their influence is definitely missed on the court.
The Indians pulled the game together by the end, and were able to lock down the Eagles' offense.
Oneida was even able to allow some time for younger players to get into the game. One of those was Caesar Bartolon. Bartolon is not originally from the U.S. and moved to Oneida this year. Although he may not be able to speak English fluently, it doesn't keep his team and school from supporting him. A chant emanated from Oneida's crowd, especially the student section, calling for Coach Jacob King to put him. With a little time left in the game, King did just that. Not only did Bartolon get to play; he also scored. The Oneida faithful went wild, showing support for Bartolon.
ONEIDA (72): M. Keeton 23, Duncan 12, Rector 9, Spradlin 8, Limburg 7, Brawner 4, West 3, Bell 2, Anderson 2, Bartolon 2.
OAKDALE (50): Miller 15, Nance 10, Husky 10, Gregory 4, Cooney 3, Hoskins 2, O'Dell 2, Dunlap 2.
