Saxony Lutheran boys basketball team rolls past Oran to improve to 13-1

ORAN, Mo. -- Respect was given to an experienced and accomplished Saxony Lutheran girls basketball team before it ever stepped on a court this season, having been attained over the previous three seasons.

For a younger, less accomplished Saxony boys squad, respect has had to be accumulated one win and one small gym at a time.

A day after the top-seeded Saxony girls lived up to their advance billing with their second tournament title of the season in a 22-point victory over Oran in the Delta New Year's Tournament, the Saxony boys went about their business more quietly but just as convincingly with a 24-point victory in Oran's home gym.

Saxony junior William Rogers collected a game-high 23 points in the 63-39 victory, which improved the Crusaders' record to a gleaming 13-1.

The win total already has surpassed that of last season -- an 11-15 campaign, which came on the heels of a 10-16 season.

Saxony Lutheran's Graesen Meystedt drives up the court against Oran during the fourth quarter Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 in Oran, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

The Crusaders start two juniors and three sophomores, but they have been creating havoc with a combination of size, quickness and talent.

Many local basketball fans have not gotten a chance to see the Crusaders, who were not among the 16 teams on display at the high-profile Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament. Instead, the Crusaders maintained their more anonymous standing by finishing third and sustaining their lone loss at the Bloomfield Christmas Tournament.

"To be honest with you, I think that's how we like it," first-year coach Kevin Williams said about his team's low profile in the area. "We keep winning games, and all I keep hearing about is how we can't do this and can't do that and all the things that we can't do. And they just keep knocking down every team that is in front of them, and that's all I ask of the kids to do."

Despite being undefeated at the time, the Crusaders were awarded just a sixth seed at Bloomfield.

"That's kind of been the theme for us," Williams said. "I thought we were a higher seed going into the tournament, and they didn't think so. And these kids used that as motivation. They've turned it around every time someone says we're really not as good as I think we are and just using it to work hard in practice and be hungry. I'm really proud of them so far."

Oran's Garrison Mangels misses a rebound grabbed by Saxony Lutheran's Nathan Ruark during the third quarter Friday, Jan. 8, 2016 in Oran, Missouri. (Fred Lynch)

The 6-foot-3 Rogers said he embraces the role.

"I live with it," Rogers said. "I mean, being the underdog is kind of my thing, and I just like to surprise people."

However, the Crusaders, whose starters range from 6-2 sophomore Graesen Meystedt to 6-4 sophomore Nathan Ruark, were not playing the underdog role against a height-challenged Oran team, which fell to 7-6.

"They weren't flying under my radar by any means," said Oran coach Joe Shoemaker, who started a lineup that topped out with 6-1 senior Garrison Mangels. "They're very long and lanky, and we didn't do a good job of getting the ball inside early. And they were able to stretch it out on our shooters. And when they're longer and lankier than you at every spot, it makes it tough to pass it, it makes it tough to get open looks -- they close out well."

Against Oran, the Crusaders shot 56 percent from the field in the first half, including 5 of 11 from behind the arc in building a 36-20 lead by the break.

The left-handed Rogers knocked down three 3-pointers in the second quarter, during which he scored 14 of his game-high total.

"He's been playing well," Williams said. "He can pretty well do whatever you want a ballplayer to do. He can hit the long-range shot, he can get to the basket, he distributes the ball, and he's not the only one that can do that. There's three or four more out there that can do the exact same thing. So I think it's going to start becoming a problem for teams we play. What do you take away? Who do you concentrate on? You concentrate on one guy, we've got three more that can do the same thing he does."

Among those players are Corie Williams, a 6-3 junior, and Jalen Williams, a 6-4 sophomore, who both finished with 10 points apiece.

Oran junior Max Priggel scored the game's first basket on a fast break, and he later gave Oran its last lead of the night when he sank a 3-pointer from the right corner for a 5-3 advantage with 6 minutes, 7 seconds left in the first quarter. The Eagles missed all seven shots, had two shots blocked and committed three turnovers over the remainder of the period as the Crusaders closed out with an 11-0 run.

In all, Oran missed 12 shots in a scoring drought that lasted more than 8 minutes.

"We've got to guard a little better when we have those stretches, and we've got to try to keep from having those stretches," Shoemaker said. "That really put us behind, and in my opinion, it was a big part of the game. When you get down 16, 17 points to a good team, it's going to be a tough night coming back in it."

Saxony took the lead for good when sophomore Jalen Williams drove into the lane and scored at the 3:53 mark for a 7-5 advantage. The Crusaders closed out the scoring in the first quarter when Rogers hit Corie Williams with a backdoor pass for a layin that pushed the lead to 14-5.

Rogers then extended the lead to double figures and capped a 13-0 run when he kissed a tough fast-break layin off the glass on Saxony's first possession of the second quarter.

Oran ended its drought when freshman Jacob Shoemaker, who led the Eagles with 12 points, scored in the lane at the 5:47 mark, but Rogers countered with the first of his 3-pointers in an 8-0 burst that was capped by another at the 3:57 mark for a 24-7 advantage.

Oran heated up from the field over the final four minutes of the second quarter to finish the half shooting 30 percent. The Eagles also committed 10 turnovers in the half.

"We knew that our length would bother them, so we tried to trap a little bit and get in the passing lanes tonight," Williams said. "If that doesn't work, we're capable of playing a good, hard man-to-man pressure. We guard. We're capable of full-court pressing you and dropping back and playing sagging 2-3 zone. They're smart kids -- they have good basketball IQs -- and they're really fun to coach because they can do a lot of different things. They allow me to change up when something's not working."

Rogers scored the first five points of the second half as Saxony quickly extended its lead to 21 points, 41-20. Oran responded with a 3-pointer by Shoemaker moments later but never got closer.

The Crusaders took a 20-point lead into the fourth quarter where they closed out the win. It was their third straight victory since their only loss to Kennett in the semifinals at Bloomfield.

They claimed third place in that tournament with a win against Malden and have since opened the 2016 portion of their schedule with wins against St. Pius X and Oran.

The Crusaders own a victory against Perryville, champion of the season-opening Woodland Tournament, but are in search of a "signature win," which they will get a couple chances at in the same week later this month when they visit Southeast Missourian Christmas Tournament champion Cape Central and host Notre Dame.

"We've got some talent, and they're playing well together," Williams said. "We're really starting to get some momentum going."

Saxony 14 22 12 15 -- 63

Oran 5 15 8 11 -- 39

SAXONY (63) -- Ty Swanks 2, William Rogers 23, Keevin Dyke 5, Nathan Ruark 4, Graesen Meystedt 6, Corie Williams 10, Jalen Williams 10, Nathan Schneider 3. FG 25, FT 5-7, F 5 (3-pointers: Rogers 4, Meystedt 2, J. Williams 2, . Fouled out: none)

ORAN (39) -- Cole Priggel 5, Jacob Shoemaker 12, Max Priggel 11, Preston Hahn 2, Layne Johnson 7, Garrison Mangels 2. FG 15, FT 3-4, F 15 (3-pointers: Shoemaker 2, M. Priggel 3, Johnson. Fouled out: none)

JV -- Saxony Lutheran won 56-30