5 Takeaways: Columbia vs O’Fallon

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The O'Fallon Shootout officially kicked off on Friday night with a pair of games.&nbsp; Here we dive into the second contest between host O'Fallon and Columbia.&nbsp; It was a close game in the first half with O'Fallon jumping out early with a balanced effort leading at half.&nbsp; The third quarter was an avalanche for Columbia as they went on a 16-0 run to begin the second half.&nbsp; O'Fallon settled in getting it within a possession, but could never fully get over the hump as Columbia went on to win 63-56.&nbsp; Here are our <strong>5 Takeaways: Columbia vs O'Fallon</strong>!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Smajic Shoots Lights Out</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The game MVP went to Columbia 2026 sharp shooter [player_tooltip player_id='1790001' first='Eddie' last='Smajic'].&nbsp; He poured in the perimeter shots as he drained six from deep.&nbsp; He is a big wing with a strong frame along with a flame thrower as a shot.&nbsp; He can really shoot the ball from the perimeter with a quick release off the catch.&nbsp; Also connected coming off a ball screen for one and had a sweet one footed turnaround jumper on the baseline for 25 points.&nbsp; As a shooting specialist at his size he will definitely be getting D1 looks in the 2026 class.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Donald and Landgraf are Tough Frontline</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The forwards for Columbia also stepped up in this game.&nbsp; Really liked how Creighton baseball commit [player_tooltip player_id='2376280' first='Brody' last='Landgraf'] played early on.&nbsp; The junior crafty post garners deep post position and is efficient with his touches on the block.&nbsp; Finishes well through contact and got to the foul line at a good clip for 12 points.&nbsp; Bellarmine commit [player_tooltip player_id='1568153' first='Sam' last='Donald'] turned it up as the game went along.&nbsp; The skilled small forward scored with effectiveness backing his way in for post scores, getting deep catches in the paint, tough turn around jumper, and got to the foul line quite a few times on drives.&nbsp; Also liked what he brought from a defensive standpoint with multiple steals and blocks.&nbsp; Rebounded at a high rate while scoring 16 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>O'Fallon Top 10 Junior Akoro Shows Out in 2nd Half</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>It was a bit of a slow start for O'Fallon star 2026 small forward [player_tooltip player_id='1501486' first='Ben' last='Akoro'], but he really got it going late in the 3^rd quarter and into the 4^th.&nbsp; The 6'7” forward is at his best when working in the mid-range.&nbsp; He got to his spots and pulled up for jumpers with regularity.&nbsp; Feathery touch as he poured in three in a short time span.&nbsp; Also had an and-1 on a baseline spin move along with fouled being aggressive taking it to the rack on an explosive behind the back dribble.&nbsp; Rebounded pretty well and is an underrated passer.&nbsp; He had 16 points in the loss.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Role Players Play Well for O'Fallon</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Despite the loss O'Fallon got solid contributions across the board in this game.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2823662' first='Eddy' last='Jackson'] is a 6'1” two guard that plays with a super high-motor and does a little bit of everything including defending well.&nbsp; He had 6 points.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2734465' first='Jayden' last='Dancy'] and Andre Stanley each scored 9 points with Dancy showing off the jumper while Stanley converted at the rim through contact.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='2323293' first='Brenton' last='Hunter'] had a nice floater and hit a three en route to 7 points.&nbsp; [player_tooltip player_id='1404855' first='Nathaniel' last='Smith'] competed defensively and made a three for 5 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Playoff Outlook for Both Squads</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Columbia moves to 21-4 with the victory on Friday night.&nbsp; They have the talent to beat anyone in the 2A field if their big three are clicking like they did tonight.&nbsp; They will have some tough teams to get through in the Carterville sectional with Pinckneyville, Althoff, Breese Central, Nashville, Carlyle, and Benton all there.&nbsp; O'Fallon fell to 7-18 on the season, but this is not a team that has the talent of a 7 win squad.&nbsp; They will probably get a Quincy, Alton, or Edwardsville in the first game.&nbsp; If Akoro has a big game he can give any of those teams a scare.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->