Oak Park’s Balanced Attack Knocks Off St. Bonaventure

Oak Park and St. Bonaventure had to change game plans in a Tri-Valley League boys’ basketball showdown Wednesday night.

The Seraphs played without guard Chris Saunders, their top scorer, who has a hip injury. Oak Park was without center Jeremy Murphy, who was ill.

Oak Park opened up a perimeter attack, hit seven three-pointers and had four players score in double figures to defeat the Seraphs, 57-47, at Oak Park.

The Eagles lost to St. Bonaventure, 62-58, in overtime earlier this season when Murphy scored 33 points.

The Seraphs (16-6, 6-1) can still secure the program’s first league title since 1988 with a victory Friday at Carpinteria.

If the Seraphs lose and Oak Park (16-8, 5-2) wins Friday at Bishop Diego, Oak Park would claim a tie for the title. The Eagles have won a share of seven consecutive league titles.

No team other than Oak Park has gone undefeated in league play in 10 years.

“We played like that undefeated mark meant something,” Oak Park Coach Rob Hall said. “They’re a great team and a worthy champion, but that record is still here.”

Without Saunders, a senior averaging 18 points, the Seraphs tried to utilize 6-10 center Wade DeSmidt. But DeSmidt picked up three fouls in the first quarter and scored only six points.

Guard Whitney Lewis led the Seraphs with 21 points, but only six came on field goals. Lewis went 11 for 12 from the free-throw line.

“The chemistry is not there without [Saunders],” St. Bonaventure Coach Gil Kim said. “It’s not just losing his points, it’s losing his presence. We just didn’t have the confidence we usually do.”

The Eagles led, 33-23, at halftime after a 9-0 run in the final 2:15 of the first half. The Seraphs closed the gap to 42-40 with a 17-point third quarter in which Lewis scored seven points.

Oak Park pulled away immediately. Daniel Jensen, an exchange student from Denmark who had 12 points, hit one of his three three-pointers on Oak Park’s first possession of the fourth quarter to begin an 11-1 run to clinch the game.

Jason Adams had 13 points for Oak Park. Monte McNair and Grant Smith each had 12.