Chargers rally in second half for rivalry win
Jan. 19—OXFORD — Oxford's patience paid off quickly on Tuesday night.
Behind a measured but aggressive approach, the Chargers rallied from nine points down in the second half and took a 52-46 win over crosstown rival Lafayette. It avenged a two-point loss to the Commodores on Dec. 10.
Oxford (14-8) was astoundingly efficient in the second half, making 10 of 14 shots from the field and 8 of 11 free throws.
"We were being patient, took higher-percentage shots," Oxford coach Drew Tyler said. "... Lafayette wasn't sliding over and taking charges, and that was our game plan the second half, to drive to the goal."
Lafayette (9-11) led 25-20 at halftime and pushed it to 29-20 in the third quarter. And then Oxford found its rhythm, reeling off a 12-0 run to take its first lead since 2-0.
By the end of the third, Oxford led 37-35, having made 3 of 4 from 3-point range in the quarter. Lafayette tied it at 38-38 on a Cooper Mitze layup, but Baylor Savage's 3-pointer started a 10-0 Oxford run.
"Coach Tyler's halftime speech, he kind of lit into us a little bit, made us feel confident," Oxford guard D.J. Davis said. "We came out and realized they weren't better than us and played how we wanted to play."
Davis had a game-high 20 points. He helped ice the game by making 7 of 8 free throws in the final two minutes.
Omari Frierson had 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting.
"He had his best game in his four years against Lafayette," Tyler said.
The Chargers were 19 of 34 (55.9%) from the field, including 5 of 9 from 3-point range. Lafayette was 19 of 40 (47.5%) from the floor but made just 5 of 14 free throws.
Kylan Egerson led the Dores with 13 points, while Kylen Vaughn had 12. Mitze finished with 10 and also grabbed seven rebounds.
(G) Lafayette 63, Oxford 30: Mariah Reed-Jones scored 26 points as No. 9 Lafayette (15-5) rolled past its rival. Oxford (6-13) was led by Olivia Waddell's 10 points.
Three-Pointers
Turning Point: After Lafayette tied it at 38-38, four different Oxford players scored in a 10-0 run.
Point Maker: Davis shot 6 of 10 from the floor and 7 of 8 at the free-throw line.
Talking Point: "You've got to give them credit. They made some shots the second half that they weren't making in the first half." — Lafayette coach Brad Gray
