Oxford pulls away late to defeat Center Hill
Photo: Center Hill’s Dorian Bagley drives toward the basket in Monday’s game against Oxford at the Magnolia Heights Memorial Classic. (Bob Bakken/desotocountynews.com)
SENATOBIA, Miss. — Behind a balanced offensive attack and a dominant fourth-quarter surge, the Oxford Chargers defeated the Center Hill Mustangs 70-50 on Monday at the Magnolia Heights Memorial Basketball Classic.
Player of the Game JaKavion Majors led all scorers with 18 points, spearheading an Oxford offense that placed four players in double figures. Miles Bledsoe added 16 points, while Jack Tatum and Cori Johnson chipped in 15 and 10 points, respectively.
Game Summary: A Tale of Two Halves
The contest began as a defensive struggle, with Oxford holding a slim 16-14 lead after the first period. The Chargers utilized a full-court press to start the second quarter, sparking a 7-2 run to extend their advantage.
Center Hill refused to go away early, putting together a late second-quarter rally to cut the deficit to 34-30 at the halftime break. The Mustangs remained within striking distance through the third quarter, trailing 53-47 heading into the final frame.
However, Oxford’s depth and conditioning proved too much in the closing minutes. The Chargers outscored the Mustangs 17-3 in the fourth quarter to secure the double-digit victory.
Mustang Standouts
Tray Connor led the way for Center Hill with 14 points. Center Hill head coach Julius Cosby praised Connor’s work ethic following the loss.
“That’s pretty good for Tray,” Cosby said. “He works hard in the gym and comes in when others are not there. That’s a good testament to him.”
Christian Grissom also contributed 12 points for the Mustangs.
Coach’s Corner
Despite the loss, Coach Cosby noted that these classic games serve as a vital learning experience for his “young and green” squad as they prepare for district play.
“We played hard,” Cosby said. “We’ve been off holiday break… we try to stay in the gym, but we just came up short. We still compete well, and we’re just fighting. Every loss is a lesson, so we take it as a lesson, learn from it, and move on.”
Cosby emphasized that the atmosphere at the Magnolia Heights classic helps the team find the right rotations.
“We’re still finding lineups that work and finding pieces that work together,” Cosby added. “This is just a great experience for the kids to play over the holidays.”
Up Next
Center Hill is scheduled to return to the court tomorrow for continued play in the classic. The Mustangs will face Pillow Academy at 3:50 p.m. at Magnolia Heights School.
