The Wildcats strengthened their hold on the Oakland Activities Association Gold division with a 69-40 victory over Hazel Park on Friday, Feb. 17.
Oxford put the game away by halftime as they outscored Hazel Park 17-8 in the first quarter and 24-15 in the second, taking a 41-22 lead into halftime.
‘Sometimes you run into those traps of not playing with the right intensity or execution and I was really proud of the effort our kids had,? varsity head coach Paul Marfia said. ‘We played a team that was at the bottom of our conference, and we played and made them look like they were at the bottom of our conference.?
Oxford finished 8-19 from the three-point line and shot 45 percent for the game, while Hazel Park only shot 26 percent
Senior Mark Hazelwood scored 21 points and had five assists, freshmen Connor Elzerman scored 10 points off the bench and senior Mike Kitchner added 13 points.
Senior Jacques Toussiant had another impressive stat night, finishing with seven points, five steals and four assists.
‘I was really proud of the kids,? Marfia said. ‘They played with great effort and execution, our defensive end was very sharp with our rotations.?
Marfia noted Oxford gave up 16 offensive rebounds the first time they played Hazel Park. On Friday evening, Hazel Park only grabbed six.
The Wildcats currently sit at 12-4 overall and 6-1 in conference play. If Oxford can win Tuesday night at home against Lapeer East, they will have matched the most wins by a varsity boys team in the modern era of Oxford basketball.
According to Marfia, the Wildcats won 13 games in 1981, 1991 and 2000.
If the Wildcats can win Thursday, Feb. 23 at Lahser, they can claim a guaranteed share of the Gold division title, which would be the first division title since 1981.