Oak Hill Academy defeats Benedictine, 79-65

By: DAVE LAWRENCE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT | Times-Dispatch
Published: February 28, 2010

When Benedictine last met Oak Hill Academy in December 2007, the Cadets eked out a 73-72 victory.

Last night, the outcome was different: Oak Hill justified its national ranking with a 79-65 domination of Benedictine in the Massey Cancer Center Classic at the University of Richmond's Robins Center.

The Warriors ranked 12th in the ESPN/Rise Fab 50 poll were lead by McDonald's All-American Doron Lamb, who scored 20 points and grabbed six rebounds. Lamb opened the game with nine first quarter points, leading Oak Hill (28-3) to a 19-10 lead.

Benedictine (22-6) was expecting a challenge from the Warriors.

"I knew it would be a tough game coming in with them being ranked so high in the nation," said R.J. Price, who led Benedictine with a game-high 22 points. Price picked up his game in the second half to keep the Cadets within reach. "I just tried to run the show, get my team more in the game, and get everybody else shots. I tried to get myself shots, also."

Price scored 17 points in the second half 12 from 3-point range. He said he felt more comfortable, but also had more opportunities in the second half.

"My team, sometimes, might not get the shots they needed," Price said. "If the other team was going to leave me open, I had to take some shots and step up."

The Cadets' Mike Gbinije scored 17 points, followed by Kevin Gill with 11. Three Warriors besides Lamb scored in double figures: Roscoe Smith with 16 points, Pe'Shon Howard with 14 and Juwan Staten with 10.

The Cadets stayed reasonably close until early in the fourth quarter, when the Warriors scored nine unanswered points to take a 68-44 lead. The Cadets didn't fold and earned respect from Oak Hill's coach, Steve Smith, with the way they fought down the stretch.

"You've got to give them credit, they just hung in there and kept playing hard and kept making shots," Smith said. "We just had them outsized and outmanned physically."

Benedictine coach Sean McAloon thinks Oak Hill was good preparation for next week's VIS tournament.

"It's a loss, but let's be realistic. Those are some of the five best players that they have the country," McAloon said. "If you go out there and see how you stack up against the best, I don't think it hurts you as you get ready for a state tournament."

OAK HILL ACADEMY (28-3)

Lamb 20, Staten 10, Keita 8, Howard 14, Smith 16, Porcher 5, Hornsby 2, Anderson 0, Makanjuola 1, Abele 3. Totals 32 9-14 79.
BENEDICTINE (22-6)

Moody 3, Davis 6, Gill 11, Price 22, Gbinije 17, George 0, Thurston 4, Shaheen 0, Tiller 0, Pilot 0, Beechaum 0, Williams 2. Totals 23 10-16 65.
Oak Hill Academy ------------------------- 19 20 20 20 -- 79
Benedictine ------------------------- 10 17 17 21 -- 65

3-point goals: OH -- Lamb 2, Howard 2, Smith 2. B -- Price 4, Gill 3, Davis, Gbinije.