High school boys basketball: Ty Locklear leads way as Oberlin rallies in final minute to force OT, then beats Wellington

WELLINGTON — Where there's a will, there's a way. After trailing the entire second half, Oberlin's Ty Locklear willed his team into overtime, scoring nine points in the final 1:33 and then another five in the extra period as the Phoenix pulled out a 54-51 win over Wellington in Lorain County League play Friday night. After being held to just one 3-pointer through three quarters, Locklear scored 18 points in the fourth and extra session to finish with a team-high 21 as Oberlin improved to 2-2 overall and 2-0 in league play. "We were really down, and we just needed to come together as a team and find a way to get the job done," said Locklear, who also grabbed six rebounds and had three steals. "I believe every game we've been getting better and at the end of the season when it comes time for the playoffs, we're going to need to have played games like this." The Phoenix had no trouble with its defensive effort, forcing 29 turnovers, with 13 coming in the first half, but it just couldn't finish on offense, converting those 13 into just nine points. Despite having troubles holding onto the ball, Wellington (2-3, 0-2) found itself tied at 19 going to the second half thanks to five late points from freshman point guard Luke Vanucci on a layup and a 3-pointer with 10 seconds left. The Dukes built on their first-half finish and took a 35-28 lead going into the fourth quarter. They limited their miscues and turned the ball over just twice in the third quarter. Sean Whitehouse and Braden Hammer each picked up five points for Wellington in the third to go with two points each from Drew Unangst, Jayden Roberts and Jacob Knapp. Roberts and Unangst gave Oberlin problems all night as Roberts finished with a game-high 22 points while grabbing 11 rebounds. Unangst hit a 3-pointer and finished with 12 rebounds. The Phoenix just couldn't get closer in the fourth as Whitehouse drained a pair of free throws with 1:40 left giving the Dukes a 43-34 lead. That's when Locklear took over the game. After hitting a 3-pointer at 1:33, Marius Harrell scored on a layup 23 seconds later and then Locklear went on to score the final six points for Oberlin, including the game-tying basket with one second left after an offensive rebound. "Ty is that type of player that when things get tough, he steps up and plays his best," Oberlin coach Kurt Russell said. "Like a lot of guys, he struggled early scoring, but was there when we needed him." Andre Yarber had two big steals and Josiah Bowen-Pride did the same to set the tone as the Phoenix never trailed in overtime. The final five points came from Locklear. "My shots just weren't falling tonight, I knew I had to do something to help the team," said Yarber, who finished with seven points. "I knew I had to step up my defense in the fourth quarter and was able to get a couple big steals in overtime." For Wellington coach Dan Gundert, this one will sting a little. "We were up five with 1:09 left in the game and it was just downhill from there," Gundert said. "That's a tough loss, we have to be able to execute and make plays. When you're playing a good team and you leave the door open, they're going to get you." Contact James Brady at 329-7135 or jbrady_ct@yahoo.com. Oberlin 54, Wellington 51 (OT) OBERLIN (54): Marcus Perry 0-0-0, Korey Russell 0-0-0, Andre Yarber 3-1-7, Marius Harrell 4-1-9, Kevyn Steen 2-2-7, Omario Hopkins 1-0-3, Isaac Thompson 2-3-7, Ty Locklear 8-3-21, Davion Witherspoon 0-0-0. Totals 20-10-54. WELLINGTON (51): Luka Vannucci 2-0-5, Sean Whitehouse 2-2-7, Riley Reyna 4-0-8, Phillip McKee 1-0-2, Drew Unangst 1-1-3, Jayden Roberts 9-4-22, Jacob Knapp 2-0-4. Totals 20-7-51. Oberlin&emsp; &emsp;12&emsp;&emsp; 7&emsp; &emsp;9&emsp;&emsp;17&emsp;&emsp;9&emsp;&emsp;—&emsp;&emsp;54Wellington&emsp;&emsp;6&emsp;&emsp;13&emsp;&emsp;16&emsp;&emsp;10&emsp;&emsp;6&emsp;&emsp;—&emsp;&emsp;51 Three-point goals: Oberlin 4-23 (17 percent, Locklear 2, Steen, Hopkins); Wellington 2-13 (15 percent, Vannucci, Whitehouse). Field goals: Oberlin 20-62 (32 percent); Wellington 20-55 (36 percent). Free throws: Oberlin 10-14 (71 percent); Wellington 7-12 (58 percent). Rebounds: Oberlin 35, Wellington 45. Turnovers: Oberlin 18, Wellington 29. Fouled out: Thompson. Junior varsity: Oberlin, 48-32