Game Capsule: Osseo completes comeback against Lakeville South
Thursday night was eventful across the state, but I stayed in my backyard and ventured to the Orioles’ nest for Osseo vs Lakeville South. A couple squads who lost a lot of punch to graduation but overall were impressive in…
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Continue ReadingThursday night was eventful across the state, but I stayed in my backyard and ventured to the Orioles’ nest for Osseo vs Lakeville South. A couple squads who lost a lot of punch to graduation but overall were impressive in multiple facets. Here’s the game capsule from the Orioles defeating the Cougars 66-60 in overtime:
Game MVP. His first half was quiet, which dictated Osseo’s entire pace and volume as well, but junior point guard Cornell Richardson wins this award for his stellar performance on Thursday. Standing maybe 5-foot-11, Richardson stormed his squad back to a lead late in the second half after falling behind by 17. His activity defensively (quick hands, poking at the ball from weakside assignments and putting immediate pressure on the ballhandler at halfcourt) energized the rest of Osseo’s swarming lineup. He’s not the biggest threat in the paint but his touch is impeccable and he scored 28 points on 9-14 FG thanks to some deep, deep treys down the stretch. I hear 17U programs are hot on his tail for the spring season, as they should be.
2021 Cougar anchors. If we split MVP awards by halves, Richardson would take the second, but Reid Patterson takes the spot for half one. As South jumped to a commanding double-digit lead at the break, it was Patterson who could not be stopped from any spot on the court. Splitting defenders for layups, pulling up from 15 feet contested, every shot seemed easy for the lefty sophomore guard. Patterson is the 10th-ranked sophomore in Minnesota and led his team like it. The Cougars graduated two main scoring options last year and Patterson stepped up scoring 27 points himself on 60% shooting. Then there was 6-foot-9 football star Riley Mahlman, the Guy with Gigantic Shoulders. He didn’t have a ton of chances for post ups but he didn’t need them—his presence in the paint was enough to deter Osseo guards from attacking and forced the Oriole big men into foul trouble quickly. Five points and six rebounds on the night for him.
The Turning Point. It came toward the end of regulation, Osseo down five. Cornell Richardson picks a pocket, gets fouled and hits two free throws. Then he picks another pocket and pushes the loose ball ahead to a teammate for a three-point play that tied the game at 54. In a span of 12 seconds, Osseo went from trying to play catch-up to swinging the momentum entirely in their favor. That’s all the Osseo gym needs to get going, and once they’re amped, it’s hard to overcome as the visiting team.
Importance of depth. A big question coming into the season for Osseo was which next guy could hold up the secondary scoring role behind Richardson. On Thursday that guy was Terrance Waits, 6-3 senior wing. Waits has length to see and finish over the top of contesting hands and he scored a slashing 13 points along with nine boards playing heavy minutes in half two. Other guys to take that role throughout the year might be: Eli Barlue (foul trouble hampered his time on Thursday), Tariq Henry (impressed us in the fall at the Top 250, was solid moving the ball with security against South) and Bernard Omooria (super-lanky freshman forward who made a couple big plays at the rim, definitely has a bright future). Will there be consistency at that spot for Osseo? We’ll find out as they have a couple tough conference games before Christmas against top ten teams.
Cougar youngsters flash. The pair of freshmen who saw time for Lakeville South (Sam Fliehe and Avery Mast) played hard and sound on Thursday. Joe Janquart gives minutes to players who work their butts off and make the right plays, and both of the underclassmen did just that. Neither was eye-popping in the box score but gaining experience in a tough environment like Osseo will bode well over the next couple years for these guys. Add them to the core of Patterson and Mahlman for another couple years, that’s a good thing to build around.