Wildcats rally past West, return to region semis
For the third consecutive year, Oak Ridge High School’s boys basketball team eliminated Knoxville West in the opening round of the Region 2-4A tournament.
And for the third straight time, the Wildcats ended the Rebels’ season.
This meeting, however, came with a twist. West, the District 3-4A runner-up, and Oak Ridge, the No. 3 seed from District 4-4A, have flipped districts since last season, and Tuesday’s contest marked the first of the three postseason matchups played in Knoxville.
When the final horn sounded at West High School, the outcome felt familiar. Oak Ridge erased a second-half deficit and surged to a 62-53 victory.
The Wildcats trailed 36-28 at halftime and faced a 42-36 deficit with 3:04 remaining in the third quarter. Oak Ridge responded with an 8-0 run to close the period and seize a 44-42 lead heading into the fourth.
The momentum carried over. The Wildcats outscored the Rebels 18-11 over the final eight minutes, finishing the game on a 34-17 run after the break.
“I was frustrated at halftime and I just challenged them and I told them that this wasn’t up to our standard,” Oak Ridge Coach Aaron Green said.
“We looked tired and we were dead in the water at halftime.”
The message resonated.
Charlie Taubenheim and Ethan James each scored 17 points to lead the Wildcats.
Ja’Rell Jemerson added 12.
West finished its season at 12-21.
Oak Ridge (18-12) was scheduled to face Bearden (33-1) in the region semifinals Tuesday in West Knoxville.
Results were not available at press time.
