Mike Lamrock (3) scored a career-high 20 points as one of three Oscoda Owls to score 20 or more in Tuesday's win.
Fairview's Tyler Kalahar (11) tries to tip a rebound away from Oscoda's Dylan Kac
Brent Baker
Jason Jimenez hit three 3-pointers in the first quarter as Oscoda opened up a big first-half lead.

OSCODA - Dec. 4, 2007 - Oscoda handed Fairview a dose of full-court pressure in Tuesday's boys basketball opener, and the results for the Owls were just what coach Scott Lueck ordered.

The Owls forced bundles of turnovers during two key runs, one in each half, and pulled away to a 75-53 victory over the defending North Star League champions.

"I was really happy with our full-court intensity," said Oscoda coach Scott Lueck. "I was especially proud of how Mike Lamrock played with his defense and hustle."

Lamrock's defense and hustle paid off with a career-high 20 points, many of them coming off pressure-induced steals that he forced. He was one of three 20-point scorers for the Owls as Adam Dettmer and Jason Jimenez each tallied 21.

Fairview made a game of it after falling behind by 19 points early in the third quarter. When Jubal Handrich wasn't on the floor with foul trouble, the Owls' press was deadly. But with Handrich, Fairview made a big third-quarter run, cutting into a 46-27 Oscoda lead with a 14-0 run. Fairview's comeback started with Handrich's offensive rebound bucket, included a "five point play" when Kessler Evans was fouled while scoring, missed the ensuing free throw but had Joe Koslikiewicz rebound it, step out and drill a triple.

Carl Gossman's basket midway through the third quarter cut the Fairview lead to five, and after an Oscoda miss the Eagles had a chance to trim the lead to three. But the game turned again, this time for good, when Handrich was whistled for his fourth foul on a rebound attempt and had to take a seat.

Dettmer responded with a pair of rebound-putback hoops, Lamrock scored off a pair of steals and as quick as Fairview had come back, the Owls broke the game open with a 13-2 run of their own to open up a 59-43 lead.

Handrich returned to the fray early in the fourth quarter and the Eagles cut it to 63-53 on a pair of Tyler Kalahar hoops, but after Handrich fouled out, Oscoda finished it off with a 12-0 run.

"Fairview stuck with it," Lueck said. "(Fairview coach) Wayne (Nutt) is a good coach; it's fun to play against him.

"They defended Adam well with the zone, but with our press we feel like we can score in bunches. I was also really proud of Mike Leveille, with the way he played in his first varsity start."

The Owls built their first-half lead by forcing turnovers and by riding Jimenez's hot hand. The fourth-year starter hit three 3-pointers in the final three minutes of the first quarter as an 8-5 Fairview lead turned into a 22-15 Oscoda advantage.

Handrich led the Eagles (0-1) with 16 points, with Kalahar adding 14, mostly on the occasions when Fairview was able to break through the Oscoda press.

Oscoda (1-0) hosts Whittemore-Prescott in Thursday's NEMC opener, while Fairview (0-1) travels to Arenac Eastern to start North Star League play.