'In the race': GlenOak beats Jackson in OT, Federal League boys basketball nears finish line

JACKSON TWP. — As his young GlenOak Golden Eagles poured out of a celebratory locker room, veteran head coach Rick Hairston praised them for their maturity and effort.

Then he offered some perspective.

"We didn't win nothing yet," Hairston said. "But we're still in the race and that's where we really wanted to be: IN-THE-RACE."

The race in Federal League boys basketball is most definitely on.

The guys in green displayed some guts Tuesday, going on the road and earning a 70-62 overtime win against Jackson after a wild end to regulation.

The Polar Bears had a chance to strengthen their first-place hold and put GlenOak (and McKinley) on life support in the league title chase.

Instead, GlenOak created a three-way tie atop the standings with Jackson and Green, each at 7-3 with two league games to play. McKinley is a game back at 6-4.

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It was only appropriate the Golden Eagles' most disruptive player starred on a night they disrupted the league order.

Junior sixth man Jaylen McElroy produced 11 points, seven rebounds and five steals for GlenOak, which forced 15 Jackson turnovers. The long, lanky McElroy had steals on three of four Jackson possessions covering the end of regulation and the start of overtime.

"Coming into the game, (assistant) coach Antwan (Williams) told us, 'Defense is going to win this game,'" McElroy said. "That's what we did. We got some stops at the end of the game.

"I feel like I can score anytime I want, but some games I just got to play defense. Today I had to play defense, I got some buckets and we got the 'dub."

Hairston feels McElroy's best impact is off the bench, and McElroy is the rare kid who will accept that despite possessing starter talent.

"We know when we put him in the game, we get better," Hairston said. "I talk to him about it. (GlenOak girls basketball) coach (Paul) Wackerly talks to him about it all the time. He's just embracing that role. When you put him in, he's going to wreak some havoc."

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Junior Ja'Corey Lipkins scored a team-high 19 points, while sophomore Bryce Broom hit three 3-pointers and added 17 points, including two big buckets late in the third quarter to slow Jackson's momentum.

Lipkins was quiet for much of the night, but came alive in overtime, hitting two jumpers to give GlenOak a two-possession lead.

"He turns it on when it's winning time," Hairston said of the talented lefty. "That's what I said to him, like, 'Come on, man, it's winning time. Let's get going.' He started making some shots."

Lipkins made all four of his free throws in OT as part of an 8-for-8 night at the foul line for him. That led GlenOak's 17-for-22 peformance as a team, a stark contrast to Jackson's 13-for-26 from the line.

Jackson head coach Tim Debevec rued his team's foul shooting, 3-point shooting (5-for-26) and turnovers, but he wasn't about to take anything away from GlenOak.

"They're 15-4 for a reason," Debevec said after his team fell to 12-5. "We lost to a really good team in overtime. It's a tough one to swallow. It's going to hurt tonight but tomorrow we've got to focus on Perry. ... We still control our own destiny if we want to share the title. We win our next two, and we're Federal League champs."

Jackson plays at Perry on Friday and at McKinley on Feb. 10. GlenOak is at Lake on Friday and hosts Green on Feb. 10.

A game of ebbs and flows Tuesday led to a heart-pumping final 24 seconds of the fourth quarter.

Tied 18-18 after one quarter, GlenOak took control of a disjointed second quarter and went to the half leading 33-24.

It was Owen Woolbert time in the third quarter as Jackson established its senior big man. Woolbert scored 14 points in the frame, highlighted by a massive put-back jam, as Jackson took its first lead since late in the first quarter.

Woolbert scored a game-high 20 points despite shooting 4-of-12 from the foul line. He grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Sophomore Kyle Monterrubio added 19 points and nine rebounds as Jackson pounded GlenOak on the boards to a 35-20 advantage.

GlenOak missed its first seven shots from the floor in the fourth quarter, but Jackson never led by more than three points.

Tied 54-54, McElroy jumped a passing lane near midcourt, got the steal and scored on the breakaway to put GlenOak in the lead with 21 seconds left.

Jackson, not calling timeout, pushed the other way. Anthony Fuline hit a baseline pull-up jumper with eight seconds left to tie it.

Lipkins' deep 3 in the final seconds was off, leading to four minutes of bonus basketball that were largely dominated by GlenOak.

"Anthony made a great shot to put us into overtime," Debevec said. "But it shouldn't have come to that. We turned the ball over too many times coming down the stretch."

Jackson beat up GlenOak in the first matchup between the two clubs, winning 74-55 in Plain Township on Jan. 3. Hairston considers Jackson "the gold standard" in Federal League boys basketball.

For his Golden Eagles to win on the Polar Bears home floor, just like they did at McKinley and at Green earlier this season, is a source of pride for Hairston.

"The one thing I like about this young group of kids is they just play hard as hell," Hairston said. "And they do it all the time."

They better keep it up. The race nears the finish line.

Reach Josh at josh.weir@cantonrep.com

On Twitter: @jweirREP 

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Federal League boys basketball: GlenOak beats Jackson in overtime