From Tip to Buzzer: Oxford Controls the 6A NE Final

The Class 6A NE Regional Final was never in doubt. From the opening tip, Oxford set the tone as they were defensively suffocating, offensively aggressive, and mentally locked in. The result? A dominant 55-22 statement win over Homewood and a ticket punched to Birmingham. Oxford had it rolling from the jump. Homewood, on the other hand, struggled to find rhythm all night, shooting just 7-for-25 from the field, 2-for-11 from three, and committing 17 turnovers under relentless pressure. Here are the standouts from a one-sided Elite 8 showdown.   [player_tooltip player_id='2726864' first='Chris' last='Latson'] (6'4/‘27/F/Oxford)   IG: thaaatboichris   X: @thaatboii_chris   Chris continues to be one of the most improved players in the state, and his offensive emergence has helped Oxford to punch their ticket to Birmingham. His positional size and length, along with his ability to knife his way to the basket and finish over the top, created problems for Homewood, for which they had no answer. Chris did not have his most efficient night, but he still produced enough to help his team get the job done.   [player_tooltip player_id='2748377' first='Caileb' last='Wilson'] (6'1/CG/'28/Oxford)   IG: cwilson_the1   X: @cwilson_the1   Caileb impacted the game on both ends of the floor in the way he has done the entire year. The energy and effort that he brings to the floor is contagious, and you can see his teammates feed off him. When he does look for his offense, he is really good at getting paint touches and scoring with floaters and runners. He only finished with 5pts but his impact was way beyond the stat sheet.     Jermaine Carver (5'9/PG/'29/Oxford)   Jermaine is a freshman who played loose and did not allow the stage to affect his play. He is showing his ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor, and offensively, he has a quick first step and lived in the heart of Homewood's defense. He caught my eye and is definitely a player I will be following closely.   [player_tooltip player_id='1958808' first='Jaylen' last='Alexander'] (6'1/PG/'26/Oxford HS)   IG: j3ylen   X: @256Jaylen   Jaylen showed his ability to run the show and get his teammates involved. Playing a mature game from a playmaking perspective. When Homewood made a run in the 3rd quarter, he stopped it with back-to-back aggressive possessions looking for his offense, in which he scored, gettinga downhill. Even if he is not putting up huge numbers, which he has shown he is capable of, he is the best player on the floor and will be the best player in Class 6A in the Final 4.   Homewood's Tough Night   Homewood simply could not generate consistent offense. Credit Oxford's defensive pressure and discipline. The Patriots struggled to create clean looks and turned the ball over 17 times under constant harassment. It was a frustrating night, but one that doesn't define their season.   [player_tooltip player_id='2832717' first='Kaleb' last='Carson'] (5'11/PG/‘26/Homewood)   X: @KCarson10   Kaleb ends his phenomenal career by helping his team reach the Elite 8. He was only able to pour in 7pts, but he did not let it affect his overall play or his competitive nature, for which he has become known. There is no denying he had a tough night, but he played like a true champion.

The Class 6A NE Regional Final was never in doubt. From the opening tip, Oxford set the tone as they were defensively suffocating, offensively aggressive, and mentally locked in. The result? A dominant 55-22 statement win over Homewood and a ticket punched to Birmingham. Oxford had it rolling from the jump. Homewood, on the other hand, struggled to find rhythm all night, shooting just 7-for-25 from the field, 2-for-11 from three, and committing 17 turnovers under relentless pressure. Here are the standouts from a one-sided Elite 8 showdown.