Howe’s double-double leads Oak Ridge GBB past Kelly 51-36

BENTON — When Oak Ridge girls’ basketball has needed an offensive lift in recent weeks, senior Reagan Howe has often been one of the few to answer the call.

She did it again, and then some, dropping 14 points, 10 rebounds, three steals, and three blocked shots to help the Blue Jays ease by Kelly 51-36 on Thursday night at Kelly High School.

The victory marks Oak Ridge’s first-ever win over Kelly in program history.

“Since I’ve came back, I haven’t been as aggressive as I usually am,” said Howe, who was sidelined with a left knee injury for Oak Ridge’s 66-54 loss to Kelly at the Holiday Classic Tournament last month. “I’ve been working on being able to make those passes and find my teammates open. The great thing about our team is we have lots of players who can score. I’ve been working on feeding my guards and my posts, and just taking it to the whole lineup.”

For Oak Ridge, it’s been highly beneficial getting a piece like Howe back in the starting lineup. The future Mineral Area College Cardinal, who is also a two-time Class 1 All-State volleyball selection, suffered cartilage damage on her knee during the fifth game of the season at Charleston and was forced to sit out for “about a month.”

Since then, she has been on a roll.

On Thursday, Howe and the BlueJays’ scoring prowess were on full display. Oak Ridge (9-7) took an 11-point lead into halftime and led by as many as 17 points late in the fourth quarter.

Star senior Madyson Ruehling complimented Howe’s double-double performance with a game-high 17 points, while junior Jayleigh Price contributed 10. Oak Ridge was efficient in the paint for most of the night with consistent ball movement and dominant rebounding paving the way.

“Coach (Julie Ward) has definitely pounded in our heads that defense is the most important thing,” Howe said. “So, it’s a big deal for us to box out and get the boards, especially because Kelly is a fast team and they are going to get those putbacks. We had to get to the boards before they could.”

That they did.

Gwen Essner scored nine points with a pair of 3-pointers to lead Kelly (6-7), which led early but fell behind more and more as the game transpired. Freshmen Rylee Burns and Peyton Ratley chipped in with eight points apiece, as well.

After trailing 12-10 at the end of the opening quarter, Oak Ridge took control on an 8-0 run to claw in front 18-12 with just under four minutes left in the first half, outscoring the Lady Hawks in the paint 14-6.

Howe had the hot hand for the BlueJays early, posting eight points and grabbing four rebounds by halftime, as they stretched their lead to 28-17.

Oak Ridge didn't cool off at all in the second half after attacking the interior from the start, while also outrebounding Kelly 10-to-1 in the third quarter alone. Freshman Kaelyn Deckerd’s driving layup with 1:10 left put an exclamation point on the polished effort for the ascending BlueJays, who have now won six of their last seven.

Now the question is whether Oak Ridge can sustain this type of success moving forward, especially with the postseason beginning to loom.

“We’re on a three-game winning streak right now and we’re just going to keep it rolling,” Howe said. “It’s been fun getting everyone back in and I feel like we have a lot of younger players who play big roles for this team. So, getting them to get more experience is crucial because they really have talent. I’m very optimistic about it.”

Oak Ridge and Kelly both return to the hardwood this Saturday, Jan. 25, for the 2025 Scott-Miss Conference Tournament held at Oak Ridge High School. Tip off times are TBD.