THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Whitney High School Athletics

It could be said that Whitney High boys basketball team’s triple overtime 80-77 victory over Oakmont was the result of the Wildcats looking past the 3-14 Vikings. But most at the game would say Oakmont simply played great basketball and Whitney simply refused to lose. “It’s probably the most emotional game I’ve ever been a part of due to the fact that for the first time in three years we played a basketball game without Matt Willis and Justin Kraft,” said Whitney head coach Nick French, whose drained expression said it all. “Oakmont played really well. I give a lot of credit to Oakmont; they shot the ball extremely well. It’s too bad they had to lose that game because they deserved it too.” Willis and Kraft were on the bench in street clothes; Willis out for the season with a torn ACL and Kraft sidelined with a back injury. It was uncertain when Kraft would be ready to play again. There really was not a “hero” in the game, although Whitney freshman Ky’ Juan Anderson did sink the final two free throws of the game to give the Wildcats a three-point lead. With less than four seconds remaining, Oakmont was unable to get off another shot. “[F]or a freshman to go in there and get the two biggest free throws of his life to ice the game, it was really special,” said French. “I’m emotional because I feel so bad for Matt and I feel so bad for Justin, but I’m really proud our kids found a way.” Tyler Austin found a way to the basket for a game-high 27 points, including a two-fisted slam dunk to knot the contest at 58-58. With less than a minute remaining, the senior came back to score another two points for what was thought to be the final blow. But the Vikings’ Grahm Spitzer drew a foul and sank both free throws to tie the score at the end of regulation 60-60. Diego Hernandez was high-point for Oakmont with 19 and came through with the shot that sent the game into its second overtime, 65-65. Trailing by two in the second OT, the ‘Cats Noah Samulewski drove to the basket and was called for charging. Forced to foul with five and a half seconds remaining, Oakmont missed both free throws of a double bonus. Samulewski then drove nearly the length of the floor for a layup at the buzzer to knot the score 72-72. Whitney’s Isaac Ackerman, Atir Mirza, Samulewski, Adam Nivinski and Anderson all scored in the final four minutes to seal the victory. Oakmont’s Bumgarner and Wood accounted for the Vike’s final points. “Two games this year and three overtimes, and we lost one by one and we won this one. These kids never quit, I guess,” French said. “When we were down 11 in the fourth quarter we could have quit. We could have made excuses and cried we didn’t have Matt and Justin, but somehow, some way, I don’t know.” Whitney again went into overtime at Antelope Thursday, but lost that game 60-59. Keywords:

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF
Whitney High School Athletics

WILDCATS SUBDUE STUBBORN OAKMONT IN THIRD OT

JIM LINSDAU

Placer Herald | 1/19/2018

PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Linsdau