By Kiara Doyal, The Seattle Medium
The O’Dea Fighting Irish (9-5, 6-1 in Metro) claimed early-season bragging rights with a 60-52 victory over the Garfield Bulldogs (7-4, 5-2 in Metro) in a highly-anticipated Metro League matchup. The pregame intensity was high as fans packed the bleachers wall-to-wall, creating an electric atmosphere for the showdown between two of the league’s top teams.
In the first quarter, both teams displayed their physical dominance, keeping the game neck-and-neck. O’Dea’s Malcolm Clark and Garfield’s Legend Smiley traded early points, setting the tone for a closely contested match.
Smiley and BJ Roy, Jr. were the focal points of the Bulldogs’ offense as they went point-for-point with the Fighting Irish. O’Dea would rely on the efforts of Clark and Brian Webster as the two teams battled back and forth to a 14-14 tie at the end of the first quarter.
As the second quarter began, O’Dea seized momentum in the game. The Fighting Irish’s Breylon Webb scored two early points to help set the tone for his team.
As the intensity continued to pick up, both teams began to feel the pressure of the game. A foul was called on Garfield’s Dre Niko just over a minute into the second quarter, placing the ball in the hands of the Fighting Irish.
Returning the favor to the Bulldogs, Webb was called for a travel, adding to the back-and-forth style play during the first half of the game.
However, Clark and Webb would emerge as major factors in the game, as the Fighting Irish would center and execute their offense around the talents of their two 6’ 6” forwards.
Inching closer to halftime, the Fighting Irish clamped down on defense and made things difficult for the Bulldogs, as O’Dea stretched out their lead over the Bulldogs.
With 2 minutes left in the second quarter, Clark would get a dunk as the shot clock expired to stretch the O’Dea lead to 32-22.
O’Dea’s Levi Orbino would hit a three-point shot as the Fighting Irish built a 15-point lead.
Smiley would convert a free-throw to cut into the O’Dea lead, but Clark would continue to showcase his skills as he drained a jumper with 20 seconds left in the first half.
The Bulldogs were starting to crack under pressure, sending the ball out of bounds just seconds before the end of the second quarter. Playing to the final whistle, O’Dea’s Antone Araujo blocked a shot under the rim, as the Fighting Irish held a 14-point lead at halftime.
Continuing to carry their energy into the second half, Araujo added two more points with a jump shot just 30 seconds into the third quarter.
“Antone is one of our senior leaders, and he is doing a heck of a job at both ends. He had the toughest defensive assignment and gave us a lot to work with,” said O’Dea Head Basketball Coach Jason Kerr after the game.
Hoping that Garfield utilized the halftime to regroup, the Bulldogs seemed to still struggle against O’Dea’s defense. Attempting multiple shots on any open chance they could, the Bulldogs continued to fall short.
The third quarter brought a flurry of calls from the referees, with the pace of the game remaining intense. Jamari Harris and Smiley led the Bulldogs’ comeback, narrowing the deficit to 10 points. However, fouls began to take a toll on the Bulldogs, handing the Fighting Irish opportunities for additional points.
In the final seconds of the third quarter, O’Dea showcased their skill with a spectacular play – a missed three-pointer by Ryan Phillips that was saved and put back by Webb as the buzzer sounded extended the Fighting Irish lead to 54-39.
Entering the final quarter, the Bulldogs made a spirited effort to claw their way back into the game. Harris ignited the comeback, scoring crucial points, and the Bulldogs narrowed the gap to just eight points with 30 seconds remaining.
Despite their resilience, Garfield fell short as O’Dea emerged victorious with a final score of 60-52.
Clark would finish the game with 22 points and 20 rebounds, while Webb would chip in 18 points to lead the Fighting Irish. Legend Smiley would finish the game with 18 points for the Bulldogs.
“How about that for a Saturday night game, win or lose the atmosphere is fun,” shared Coach Kerr after the game. “Malcolm was brutal on the glass and got us so many offensive and defensive boards that I had to use timeouts so that I could keep him on the floor and be able to rest him.”
Pictorial Highlights of Garfield vs O’Dea
