Top Standouts: Boone vs. Oak Ridge
All three of Oak Ridge’s losses prior to Wednesday night came to nationally ranked teams who don’t play in Florida.
Things changed when Boone came to the Pioneers gym and came away with a 78-76 victory. The Braves never trailed in the game as junior guard Robert Soto drove inside for the winning bucket with just under 20 seconds left (VIDEO Here).
Senior LSU commit Emmitt Williams tied the game at 76 apiece with 34.7 seconds left with a high flying dunk. But it was Boone who made the last stop after Soto’s bucket to pull it off.
Here are the top standouts.
Robert Soto (Boone)
Prior to the fourth quarter, Robert Soto had flashed nice moments, but he had just seven points. He gutted out a 10-point fourth quarter with two 3’s and two huge buckets including the winning one mentioned above. The undersized speedster plays really well off Sean Halloran and Marlon Allen. Boone has a nice trio brewing there.
Antwaan Jones (Oak Ridge)
The fourth quarter belonged to Antwaan Jones. A senior Texas A&M commit, Jones contributed 13 of his team-high 20 points on the night in the final quarter alone. Everything was falling for Jones as he was aggressive and making things happen for Oak Ridge in crunch time.
Marlon Allen (Boone)
A lengthy junior forward Marlon Allen recorded a game-best 27 points. He was productive in both halves with 15 over the first two quarters of play and then 12 in the second half. Allen went to the rack time and time again down the stretch. He also showed he can hit shots from outside. This was an impressive performance.
Emmitt Williams (Oak Ridge)
It was an explosive first half for Emmitt Williams as he scored 13 points which included an alley-oop to himself (VIDEO Here). However, the senior forward was held to just four points in the second half as he finished with 17 points in total. Williams was on the bench more often than not in the fourth quarter but was clutch in tying the game at 76 late.
Sean Halloran (Boone)
Perhaps one of the most underappreciated senior guards in the entire state is Sean Halloran. He is a floor general who simply gets the job done. He wasn’t afraid to drive to the basket against the likes of Williams and Jones. 14 of Halloran’s 19 points came in the first half alone.
Niven Glover (Oak Ridge)
At times, Niven Glover paced the floor very well. He had two monster jams and a couple of nice shots to finish with 10 points. Coming off the bench, Glover is a huge asset who is fun to watch in transition. He was focused on helping Oak Ridge rally back.