GAME FILM: Ocoee boys basketball scores important district win

OCOEE  The Ocoee boys basketball team nearly saw a double-digit lead slip away before recouping Tuesday night to hold on for a 56-51 win over East Ridge.

Despite leading 48-38 with 2:30 to play, the Knights (5-9, 2-2 in district) allowed East Ridge (whose mascot is also the Knights) to get within as few as four points in the contest's final minute. Still, head coach John "Sarge" Siers was pleased for his team to have picked up an important district victory.

"All wins are important — especially district wins," Siers said. "Our goal is to win a district championship, so we inched one step forward."

Damerit Brown led the Knights with 21 points on the night. Elie Cadet also tallied in double-figures with 11 points. 

Though the game highlighted some areas Ocoee will need to improve upon — most notably handling the press and passing — the Knights once again had stretches where they also showcased their upside.

"When we play hard and we play together, we're pretty good," Siers said. "The lightswitch still flickers for us. When it's on, we're pretty tough to play against. ... I'm proud we made free throws down the stretch and stayed together."

Contact Steven Ryzewski at [email protected].