High Desert Basketball: Oak Hills fends off Adelanto's late rally in MRL vs. DSL showcase
With just a few weeks to go in the regular season, Saturday night featured a showcase game between the reigning Mojave River and Desert Sky League champions.
In a special matchup between two of the High Desert’s top boys basketball programs, Oak Hills survived a late rally and beat Adelanto 63-57.
The Bulldogs (15-9) led by 14 points at halftime, and the Saints slowly chipped away in the second half.
“We were pretty slow but we got back into the game,” said Oak Hills freshman Mar Landry, who led the team with 18 points, and along with Jeremiah Lark, helped thwart the comeback.
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“I thought that Jeremiah Lark and Mar Landry, and even some of our guards, did a great job controlling the rebounds, especially in the second half,” Oak Hills head coach Rob Alexander said about what the difference was in stopping Adelanto’s comeback.
With both teams being in the same playoff division, it was also a way for each team to play in a playoff-type game just weeks before playoffs start.
For Adelanto head coach Kimo Brown, despite the final score, watching the team not give up despite the sluggish start was enough to build on in preparation for the playoffs.
“I’m happy that the boys fought all the way through,” Brown said. “I’m not mad at them, it’s a good tape to watch over and fix some mistakes.”
That first half was just about all Oak Hills as Adelanto struggled early on, scoring just nine points in the first quarter.
The Saints simply couldn’t knock down many shots and it was a trend that continued throughout the night.
Adelanto’s Komari Lewis put up 13 points in the second half to keep the comeback going but Adelanto’s issues were at the free throw line. The Saints made 13 free throws but missed 10 attempts.
“I thought we had a lot of self-induced wounds, like our best shooter didn’t get loose today,” Brown said.
Shades of the past
Slowly but surely in the second half, Adelanto started to get back into the game and got as close as four points down to Oak Hills late in the fourth quarter.
This comes just three days after a loss to cross-town rival Hesperia in a game where the Bulldogs led by 11 points at halftime and eventually lost by 12.
“I think a lot of it is our guys just learning. The bottom line is our guys have to be able to be coachable and learn and make mistakes, which they’re gonna be, but then how are they going to react,” Alexander said.
Points leaders
While Landry led the way with 18 points, Lark and Mo Rios each added 10 points for the Bulldogs.
For Adelanto, Lewis scored a game-high 21 points, while teammate Joshua Mayers finished behind with 19 points.
What’s next
Both teams resume league play this week, as the playoff push is underway.
Adelanto is back in action Tuesday night at home against Granite Hills, which is currently second place in the DSL standings. The Saints beat Granite Hills 70-28 on Jan. 4.
As for the Bulldogs, they host Sultana on Wednesday night, looking to remain in second place in the MRL standings. Oak Hills beat Sultana 89-33 on Jan. 5.
This article originally appeared on Victorville Daily Press: High Desert Basketball: Oak Hills fends off Adelanto's late rally
