'Getting tournament ready': GlenOak takes big step by beating league co-champion Green
GREEN — GlenOak still had a prominent role on the final Friday of the Federal League boys basketball season.
The Golden Eagles' championship hopes already had vanished. If they couldn't win it, why not have a say in how the final chapter of the league race was written?
BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: 'Whatever needs done': Green boys basketball beats McKinley, wins share of Federal League
Head coach Rick Hairston's players authored a pretty good story inside the Green gym. The Golden Eagles beat the Bulldogs 61-54 to deny Green the outright league title. Minutes later, Jackson beat McKinley to also earn a piece of it.
Truth be told, Hairston's message to his team entering the night had nothing to do with playing a spoiler's role. GlenOak (16-5, 8-4) hopes to be involved in several big games when the postseason starts. Being in a good position to make a tournament run was the emphasis.
"Since we blew our chance of winning the Federal League, we just talked about getting tournament ready," Hairston said. "We know that a team like Green if you're deep in the tournament is the type of team you're going to play.
"I give our guys a lot of credit. They really prepared. We showed up here and played like I thought we could play all year. The losses we had, there were times where we were a little bit off-kilter, but we're really starting to play well right now."
The Golden Eagles will enter Tuesday's final regular-season game at Massillon on a four-game winning streak. The Green win wraps up a Federal League season in which they finished just one game behind the Bulldogs and Jackson.
"We let too many games slip," senior guard Ja'Corey Lipkins said. "We definitely had opportunities. I'm very said that we let some games slip.
"I feel as if the job is not finished. There's still more to be done. Tomorrow morning we have to get back in the gym and have to work on our defense, work on making shots, just everything."
BOYS HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL: OHSAA boys basketball brackets | Louisville, Green, GlenOak, Malvern lead area seeds
Lipkins and Jaylen McElroy scored 20 points apiece to lead GlenOak. Reese Zerger finished with 13 points, including 10 in the fourth quarter.
The Golden Eagles increased a 20-19 lead to 36-27 through three quarters. Green scored the first four points of the fourth quarter, but GlenOak quickly regrouped and regained control.
Lipkins, McElroy and Zerger carried the Golden Eagles offensively. Overall, a collective effort at the other end of the court has made a difference lately.
"All year our biggest problem has been defense," McElroy said. "The last two games we have been playing some great defense. Everybody doesn't have to score. Whoever is going to score is going to score, but everybody has to play defense."
Are the Golden Eagles tournament ready? All indications Friday said yes.
"The tournament starts in two weeks, and you really want to be ready to play a team like Green, a team that's going to be really physical and shoots it well," Hairston said. "I just thought our kids were up for the challenge tonight. I'm really proud of them."
Green (15-5, 9-3) beat McKinley last week to earn a share of the Federal League title. Earlier this week, Brady Rollyson broke a 70-year-old single-game record by scoring 40 points in a win over Firestone.
Rollyson scored a game-high 26 points and Jarrett Taylor finished with 18 against GlenOak. The absence of injured players Lucas Bitong and Antonio Martin was really felt.
"We have to have balance," Green head coach Mark Kinsley said. "It can't be just Brady and Jarrett. We have to have those other guys getting 6, 8, 10 points, then we're OK.
"Tonight we just didn't get the balance we needed."
Reach Mike at mike.popovich@cantonrep.com
On X: @mpopovichREP
This article originally appeared on The Repository: GlenOak denies Green outright Federal League boys basketball title
