Onalaska basketball continued its postseason surge in the area round with a 46-37 win over Pollok Central before a packed house in Latexo Friday.
The school that had never won a playoff game until Tuesday has now claimed two victories in the brackets. It wasn’t easy, and the Bulldogs were relentless on defense, holding a team that averaged 80 points in the regular season to a fraction of that number.
In fact, both teams were stingy on the defensive end, making every bucket important. Central earned a district championship themselves this season, and mostly behind a strong defense that consistently limited teams to under 50 points.
“It is probably the best defensive team we have faced this year,” Onalaska coach Nicholas Tyerman said. “They were making it tough and not letting us get transition at all. There were only a couple of times where we got transition baskets, which is a testament to them of understanding the gameplan and what they have to do against us. It took away our most important thing. But, it is good to see, because like I said in the last game, you have to win in multiple ways in the playoffs, and that is what we did.”
About halfway through the first quarter, Central held a 6-1 advantage. It would be their largest lead of the game. A Wyatt Reyes 3-pointer and bucket and free throw by Brayden Topkins helped the ‘Cats pull ahead by one going into the second quarter.
It could be argued that the second period is where the game was won. The Wildcats hit five 3-pointers in that span, on their way to a 19-point output. Meanwhile, they kept the pressure on Central, holding them to 11. That total of 11 was matched in the third, and was the most the Bulldogs would get in a quarter. Onalaska led by as much as 11 points in the second, and went into halftime up by nine.
“I give them credit, they were a tough opponent and they held us to a low point total,” Tyerman said. “They contested everything and made everything tough. We battled through it. Things weren't perfect but we showed the championship mindset that you have to have, which is continue to finish and find ways to score. We tried to work it inside a little bit more and it's where we had the advantage. We didn't get as many touches there as we wanted, but when we needed to, we did.”
In the fourth quarter, Central made one last run, tying the game at one point. Yet, Onalaska produced a flurry of buckets from Topkins, Reyes, Dante Leleux and Devon Vienneau to close it out.
“Our kids executed the scouting report so well. I can't thank God enough for blessing me with the most amazing kids in the world. They trust me, they trust the system, and they trust each other. That is a testament to how they are raised and being God-centered, and I can't thank them enough.”
Leleux led the team with 11 points, Topkins had 10 and Reyes eight.
Onalaska moves on to challenge Franklin in the regional semifinals. The Lions were undefeated in district play, and defeated Fairfield (66-47) and Troy (39-32) to reach the third round. The game is set for Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Madisonville.
