Huntsville City Classic Day 1: Oxford vs. Columbia: 6 Star Performances

<table style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 100%; height: 63px;"> <tbody> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;"> </td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;"><strong>1Q</strong></td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;"><strong>2Q</strong></td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;"><strong>3Q</strong></td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;"><strong>4Q</strong></td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;"><strong>Oxford</strong></td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;">21</td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;">30</td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;">54</td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;">68</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 21px;"> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;"><strong>Columbia</strong></td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;">13</td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;">24</td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;">38</td> <td style="width: 20%; height: 21px;">52</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Game Recap</strong>: Oxford came in as the #8 team in the state and definitely proved it. They were flying all over the court with their athleticism, but Columbia, although extremely outmatched, was scrappy and never gave up. </p> <p><strong>Oxford's Key Players:</strong> </p> <p><strong>-Zondrick Garrett II (#1):</strong> Zondrick started the game with an electric alley hoop and the anticipation was growing. But two quick fouls and three in the first half kept him at bay to start the game. In the second half, though, he was extremely hard to box out and defend all together. He was the difference making in the third quarter He finished with 16 points and 7 rebounds, 5 being offensive. One can only imagine how the game would have looked if he had been in there the whole time. </p> <p><strong>-Roc Taylor (#5): </strong>While Zondrick struggled, Roc Taylor shined. He had two first quarter 3 pointers. He passed well out of the high post which created other opportunities for his teammates. He was great at rebounding and had some freaky athleticism. He was a force to be reckoned with and finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds. </p> <p><strong>-William Warren (#4):</strong> With all the athleticism around the rim, William Warren rose to the occasion around the arc. He had 18 points on 6 made field goals, all of them coming from distance. His outside shooting really opened up the paint for his other teammates. </p> <p><strong>Columbia's Key Players:</strong></p> <p>-<strong>Cortez Mullins (#2): </strong>Mullins was the leading scorer for the very outclassed Columbia Eagles. He finished well inside with all 18 of his 19 points coming within the paint. He made several tough baskets through contact despite the size of Oxford.</p> <p><strong>-Justin Knight (#1): </strong>It definitely was not Justin Knight's best night, but he still played well. He proved his worth by knocking down 2 three pointers. He was very smart when the defender went under the screen to step back and knock down the deep three. He could be, at times, a little reckless with 4 first half turnovers. He settled down in the second half with no more turnovers. He was also very good on the defensive end with 4 steals. </p> <p>-<strong>Ja'Mari Arnold (#0): </strong>Ja'Mari was definitely not the best player on the floor. Standing at 5'9" he was not the tallest either. But he played with extreme amounts of heart. His eyes were always up as he attacked the press. For a little guy, he attacked the rim hard and finished through contact. He had a smooth mid range jumper which we needed to see more of, but unfortunately was not able. He finished with 7 points on 3-6 shooting from the field.</p> <p>Oxford will play Huntsville in the Winner's Bracket on Friday and Columbia will play James Clemens in the Loser's Bracket. </p>