ONEIDA | For the past two years, Harriman has gotten the best of Oneida.
But this time, it was all Indians.
Mason Keeton scored 25 points and pulled down nine rebounds, while Hayden Brawner scored a career-high 21 points and recorded eight rebounds, as Oneida rolled to an 82-58 win over the Blue Devils at OHS Gymnasium Tuesday (Dec. 13).
The 82 points were a season-high for the Indians.
Oneida was scorching hot, shooting 63% from the field, including 58% from 3-point range.
The Indians jumped to an eight-point lead in the first quarter, then put up 28 points in the second quarter to lead by 17 points at halftime.
The lead continued to grow in the third quarter, as Oneida went on a 21-13 run.
Oneida turned the ball over 19 times, but was otherwise efficient, with 20 assists on 36 made buckets.
Harriman, meanwhile, shot 41% from the field, including 27% from 3-point range.
The Indians continued their dominance on the boards, out-rebounding Harriman 32-21. It marked the third consecutive game that Oneida has enjoyed a double-digit rebounding advantage over its opponent.
The ease of the victory came despite Oneida playing without Gavin Keeton, who missed the game with an injury.
Zeb Spradlin tied Mason Keeton for the team-high in rebounding, with nine. Caden Rector and Jeric Huling tied for the team-high in assists, with five each.
For Oneida, which has now won three consecutive games going into a showdown with Class 2A York Institute on Thursday, the win was important as an early-season indicator of where things stand because Harriman is one of the teams the Indians could potentially meet in the region tournament.
That is especially true if Oneida wins District 3-A, as is expected by many. If Harriman qualifies for the region tournament, it could very well be as the No. 4 team from District 4-A, which would pit the Blue Devils against the Indians in the region quarterfinals.
ONEIDA (82): M. Keeton 25, Brawner 21, Gr. Keeton 7, Huling 7, Spradlin 7, West 3, Bell 2, Rector 2, Morland 2, Morgan 2, Gilbert 2, Zachary 2.
HARRIMAN (58): Campbell 19, Anderson 13, Jackson 7, Selvidge 6, Yeager 4, Wells 3, Kreis 2, Stokes 2, Moore 2.
