Boys basketball: Oakwood, Alter advance to regionals

Rubin didn’t hesitate.

“I didn’t even know the kid,” Rubin smiled. “It’s so awesome. I don’t know what it is — the kids love me. I’ve told the kids to come to the locker room. They’ll come sit in my seat, and they’re just jamming out to music with me.”

Rubin matched a game-high 19 points with teammate Owen Hoersting and Oakwood beat Taft 65-58 to claim a Division IV district title on Saturday at Wade E. Miller Arena.

“It’s kind of like a surreal feeling because I was one of those kids looking up to all of those big basketball players,” Rubin said. “For me to be that and be such an inspiration to those kids. They look at me and probably think I’m so tall.

“I’m 5-foot-8 — not that tall at all,” Rubin joked.

Oakwood (20-5) has won seven in a row, nine of its last 10 and will face Alter — a 58-35 winner over Taylor — in a regional semifinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Lakota East.

“This is just the best,” Oakwood coach Braden Short said. “Last year, when I took over the job, we were coming off back-to-back league titles. I told our guys, I said, ‘Hey, what happens if we don’t win a third?’ Because that was really important to them.

“But we were looking past a league title. We’re trying to play the best basketball to end the year. We’re not trying to be one of the best teams in our league. We’re trying to be one of the best teams in the area.”

Oakwood’s last district championship was in 2007, when the Lumberjacks beat Fenwick 34-31. Oakwood lost to Purcell Marian 55-48 in the regional semifinal.

“This is huge,” said Hoersting, a junior. “We’ve been wanting to do this for a long time. We’re just playing hard right now — doing the little things. That’s what has gotten us this far.”

The Lumberjacks led 31-25 at the half and shot 22 of 39 (56%) from the floor for the game, which saw eight lead changes. Oakwood outrebounded Taft 36-20 and went on an 8-0 run in the final 3:00 to close it out.

ALTER 58, TAYLOR 35

Eric Coulter celebrated another district championship with his Alter High School boys basketball team on Saturday.

He celebrated his 300th career coaching win, too.

R.J. Greer scored a game-high 22 points, Naceive Fenton added 12 and the Knights pulled away from the Taylor Yellowjackets in a Division IV district final at Middletown’s Wade E. Miller Arena.

Alter (19-6) is the reigning Division II state champion. The Knights won state titles under hall-of-famer Joe Petrocelli back in 1978, 1999 and 2001.

“I have about 513 to go to catch Petro,” said Coulter, who is in his 11th season at Alter. “I never take it for granted. Coach Petro, it was like normal routine. If we didn’t win the district, it was kind of an off year. For me, taking over such a storied program with such a fantastic head coach, it was insane.

“But I wanted to do things the way that he did it and just continue to do what he has done for his 50 years of coaching, and I have. We still do a lot of the same things. I still wear suits. That’s what he does.”

The Greater Catholic League Coed champion Knights are winners of four straight and 10 of their last 11.

“For me, this means a lot because of the group that we have,” Coulter said. “When you win 300, you’re kind of like, ‘I’ve been coaching for a long time.’ Even though we always have a target on our back, we always have a great core of players and kids and guys that are winners.

“I always say this, ‘You come to Alter High School for success.’”

Alter faces Oakwood — which beat Taft 65-58 — in a regional semifinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Lakota East.

“This is great. We’re all excited,” said Greer, a 6-foot-3 senior who signed with North Carolina State. “We’ve worked really hard for this. Compared to the last year, it’s obviously going to be a lot harder to do it this year. Districts is great, but the goal is always to go get another state championship.”

Alter took a 6-4 lead into the second quarter after a slow start. The Knights led 25-19 at the half.

Greer bucketed 14 of his points in the second half to pace the Knights, who outscored the Yellowjackets 32-16 in the final two quarters.

Alter shot 20 of 39 (51%) from the floor and 13 of 15 (86%) at the free throw line. The Knights forced 15 turnovers — nine coming from steals.