Even though the Oneida boys basketball team enjoys a solid 7-4 mark, it wished it had one more in the column before one of the biggest weeks of the season.
The Indians set out on the road Friday to meet 7-2 Whitesboro, and it turned out to be a classic where a single hot hand from the Warriors made the difference as it defeated the Indians 67-59.
Perhaps Oneida felt that Whitesboro’s shots would be off, given that in the first quarter, the Warriors slumped, getting just five points. All that changed in a wild second period that included 49 total points but kept the Indians in front, 34-31, going to the break.
From there, little changed until the fourth quarter, when Whitesboro guard Junior Woodard seized the spotlight.
Time after time, Woodard got open from beyond the arc and converted, a barrage that didn’t end until Woodard had set a Whitesboro single-game school record with eight 3-pointers, part of a career-best total of 36 points.
Despite all this, Oneida pulled within two on Ryan Kramer’s 3-pointer with a minute left, but Chris Gibbs, who hadn’t scored all night, answered with a trey of his own in that last minute to salt away Whitesboro’s win.
Kramer, with 22 points, was the only Indian scoring in double figures. Nick Dreimiller had nine points, but Didio and Cieri got just seven points apiece.
On Tuesday night, Oneida is back home, ready to clash with archrival Vernon-Verona-Sherrill, looking for a season sweep after winning the first meeting 61-54 on Dec. 20 at “The Pit”. The Indians also host its annual Alliance Bank Tournament this weekend.
