THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Odessa High School Athletics

The Odessa High boys basketball team entered Friday’s matchup with Abilene High looking to build off a 2-0 start. Abilene High spoiled those plans. The Eagles defensive pressure caused problems for the Bronchos all game long as Odessa High fell 63-39 to Abilene High at the OHS Fieldhouse. “We had a great start to the game and had a lot of energy,” Odessa High head coach Neal Welch said. “And then we started turning the ball over and it seemed like it was one turnover after the next. “We teach our guys to focus on the next play all the time but we didn’t do a good job of that tonight.” On the other sideline, Abilene High head coach Justin Reese was pleased with his team’s effort on the defensive end. “I thought our kids played hard defensively,” Reese said. “I told our kids coming in that this Odessa High squad was a lot better than last year. We knew that we were going to have to guard well and our kids did that.” Both teams got off to a slow start offensively, but the Eagles got things going by scoring the first two baskets of the game. The Bronchos answered with a 7-0 run to take an early 7-4 lead. Abilene High, however, came right back to close the quarter on an 11-2 run, sparked in part by guards Joe Joe Escobedo and Jalen McGee. McGee finished with a game-high 17 points along with 13 from Escobedo. “They played really well and had great poise with the ball,” Reese said. “Whenever we needed to settle things down and get under control and run the offense, those guys did a great job and also made some big shots tonight.” The Eagles started to create some separation in the second quarter with a 14-1 run. The first field goal of the period for Odessa High did not come until 3:30 left in the half when Chris Blair hit a jumper from the elbow. Blair finished with 10 points, all of them coming in the first half. L.J. Willis had 11 points to lead the Bronchos. Odessa High had some rhythm going briefly but the Bronchos still trailed 38-17 at halftime. “Abilene High is a well coached team and they have a lot of depth,” Welch said. “They’re very good with pressuring the ball without fouling. We can do a much better job and we have to clean that up.” The start of the second half was a little bit slow with both teams struggling to get going offensively early. Enter McGee, who made four field goals in the third quarter to extend the Eagles’ lead. Abilene High led by as much as 27 points in the second half and Odessa High couldn’t make up enough ground. The Bronchos have a quick turnaround over the weekend with games at Amarillo Caprock on Monday and San Angelo Central on Tuesday back at home. “I love getting to play back-to-back games,” Welch said. “I think it’s good for these guys right now. These nondistrict games are important to really figure out. It’s a good time for other guys to step up and we just have to grind and figure it out.”

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Odessa High School Athletics

ODESSA FALLS 63-39

TONY VENEGAS

Odessa American | 11/23/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Odessa Athletics