The Ooltewah boys’ basketball team earned a difficult District 5-AAA win at home against Bradley Central on Tuesday night, 58-56. With the victory, the improving Owls matched their previous season’s district win total.
Ooltewah (5-3, 2-1) caught fire early, dominating much of the first quarter. A crowd-awakening slam dunk from forward Matt Sermon capped a 10-point midquarter run that helped the Owls take a five-point lead into the second period.
As the Owls expanded their lead, the Bears (5-2, 1-1) started to take the ball into the paint to help narrow the score. Bradley Central guard Quante Berry drew five fouls, scoring on seven free throws in the second quarter as the Ooltewah lead shrank to 27-26 going into halftime.
The third quarter opened with an immediate lead change. Bradley Central’s Tray Curry drained a long-distance 3-point shot for the first score of the half. This marked a change in offensive scheme for the Bears, who abandoned their slashing, inside offense for shots beyond the arc. Bradley scored 18 of its 30 second-half points from 3-point range.
“We knew Bradley’s guys were drivers and slashers. We knew they had shooters mixed in. But some of the kids got hot that we thought were drivers,” Ooltewah coach Jay Williams said.