Oasis takes championship win

Oasis Academy’s boys’ basketball team had a huge win last week, coming away as champions of the Excel Christian Tournament in Sparks.

Oasis played three games in the tournament, facing Excel Christian, Coral Academy and Wells High School.

Against Coral Academy, Oasis won 32-23. The Bighorns played a hard game, leading 13-9 in the first half. After halftime Oasis shot ahead, dominating the Falcons while scoring 19 points.

Excel Christian was defeated 40-23. Oasis consistently kept the Warriors away from their basket, only letting them get close a handful of times in the first half. Excel Christian pushed back in the second half, however the Bighorns’ lead was strong and their offense pushed the lead higher.

In its final game of the tournament Oasis dominated Wells 49-11, keeping the Leopards pinned down for most of the game. The Bighorns exploded out to a 22-5 lead at the end of the first quarter, then repeated the defensive pressure for a 27-6 lead in the second half.

Oasis coach Donald Schank said the championship win was a huge confidence booster for his team. He said they showed improvement from their last tournament, reducing turnovers and second shots from the other teams.

The tournament did have some negative aspects, though. Early in the game against Wells, David Springfield had to leave the game with a knee injury — at presstime it was unknown if he would have to sit out games.

Armahn Brentley was the lead scorer for Oasis, scoring 26 points over the weekend with two three-pointers; David Palanevalu was close behind with 18 points. Schank also praised his younger players for their performance in the tournament.

“Our freshmen David Palanevalu, Ryan Jones, Marcus Dahl and sophomore Armahn Brantley stepped up both offensively and defensively,” he said.

Oasis plays Coral Academy again Thursday in Reno, then it travels to Susanville, Calif., for the Lassen Tournament Friday and Saturday. It expects to play the teams from Quincy, Calif, and Mount Shasta, Calif.