Tune In and Tune Up: Improved shot selection lifts Oran to victory over SCC

Carson Kern (32) drives the basket during a 75-55 win over Scott County Central in the consolation bracket of the 69th annual Oran Invitational Tournament on Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024.

Dennis Marshall ~ Standard-Democrat

ORAN, Mo. — What's more effective: a coach's stern lecture or the critical commentary of impartial announcers? For first-year Oran coach Corey Davis, the answer was clear after watching his team struggle in the opening round of the 69th annual Oran Invitational Tournament.

“I’m a straight shooter, and I told them that our shot selection was terrible,” Davis said. “If we had better shot selection we would be a much better team.”

Davis, recognizing the potential impact of external voices, instructed his players to review the Aycorp Media broadcast of the game. The announcers' candid critique of the team’s shot selection resonated with the Eagles (1-1) in a way that internal feedback had not.

“I told them the announcers would be talking about it,” Davis said. “They all came back, agreed I was right, and they took much better shots tonight. They hear me yell all the time. But when they hear somebody else talk about it then it means a little bit more.”

This innovative approach paid off as Oran rebounded with a decisive 75-55 win over Scott County Central in the consolation bracket on Tuesday, Dec. 3.

Following the victory, Oran junior Cole Diebold, who finished with 21 points, acknowledged the impact of the broadcast commentary.

“It was good to hear it from an outside party with an outside perspective,” Diebold said. “It helped us get better shots up, and I liked how hard we played as a team. It was a big difference from the previous game.”

Oran was simply dominant inside, asserting its physicality from the opening tip. The Eagles quickly established a double-digit lead over the Braves (0-2), culminating in a powerful baseline drive and finish by Carson Kern, drawing the foul and converting the free throw for a 3-point play. This gave Oran a commanding 20-10 advantage with 3:34 remaining in the first quarter.

“[Kern] does that little wraparound under the goal,” Davis said. “It almost reminds me a little bit of Dr. J.”

Kern, showcasing his offensive firepower, finished with a game-high 28 points. 

“Carson Kern is the biggest bull in the barn most nights,” Davis said. “He’s strong and he’s quick. We can trust him to make a good basketball play when going to the rim. If he does miss, he’s aggressive enough to go and get that rebound. It’s paid big dividends anytime we can get it to him.”

Diebold contributed a similar impressive three-point play on a baseline drive quarter in the quarter, and his corner 3-pointer late in the second quarter extended the lead to 20 points for the first time.

The Braves (0-2) briefly rallied, cutting the deficit to 11 points midway through the third quarter. 

However, Oran responded with renewed intensity, fueled by Kern's relentless effort. He capped a strong third quarter with a tip-in at the buzzer after securing two offensive rebounds, extending the lead to 61-46.

“Yesterday, we didn’t shoot the ball well,” Kern said. “But tonight, we did a lot better job of getting the ball in the paint.”

Oran maintained the dominance in the final quarter, leveraging their interior advantage to comfortably cruise to the victory.

“Our intensity on the defensive end and attention to detail was phenomenal,” Davis said. 

The Eagles’ other top contributors were Reid Hobbs with 12 and Kole Burger with 10. Burger provided a spark off the bench, injecting energy and playing with impressive intensity.

“That’s tough for a senior to move from a starting position,” Davis said. “But he played with great energy and didn’t seem to affect him. It motivated him. I love seeing that for him because he’s a great kid. He really brought it tonight on the defensive end and the rest of the guys followed.”

Oran suffered a close 69-66 overtime loss to Bell City in the opening round on Tuesday. Despite a strong offensive performance from Kern (30 points) and Diebold (19 points), the Eagles were unable to secure the victory. Kale Richardson led the Cubs (2-0) with 21 points, while Juan Hernandez (13) and Dawson Loomes (10) also contributed significantly.

SCC also faced a tough defeat in the opening round, falling 69-64 to Chaffee on Tuesday. Cortavian Banks led the Braves with 27 points, while Courtney Sanders III (12) and Cameron Bean (11) also contributed to the scoring effort. Nolan Fowler (20), Devin Best (15), and Dane McMullin (14) were the top scorers for the Red Devils (1-1).

Bell City went on to defeat Chaffee 52-43 in the semifinal on Thursday and will face Richland (2-0) in the championship at 8 p.m. on Friday. 

Oran takes on Kelly (1-1) in the consolation championship at 5 p.m., and it’s Westwood Baptist (1-1) versus Chaffee at 6:30 p.m. in the third-place game. 

ORAN 75, SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL 55

SCC (55) — Cortavian Banks 21, Courtney Sanders III 21, Cameron Bean 8, Brandon Bean 5. FG: 24. FT: 4-8. F: 15. (3-pointers: C. Bean 2, B. Bean 1. Fouled out: None.)

Oran (75) — Carson Kern 28, Cole Diebold 21, Reid Hobbs 12, Kole Burger 10, Cooper Bryant 4. FG: 32. FT: 7-7. F: 15. (3-pointers: Hobbs 2, Diebold 2. Fouled out: None.)

BELL CITY 69, ORAN 66, OT

Oran (66) — Carson Kern 30, Cole Diebold 19, Kole Burger 8, Parker Bryant 5, Reid Hobs 2, Cooper Bryant 2. FG: 24. FT: 14-21. F: 19. (3-pointers: Diebold 3, Burger 1. Fouled out: None.) 

Bell City (69) — Kale Richardson 21, Juan Herndanez 14, Dawson Loomes 10, Baylor Eftink 9, Logan Pikey 6, Balke Jarrell 6, Jake Asher 3. FG: 24. FT: 13-19. F: 23. (3-pointers: Hernandez 4, Eftink 2, Pikey 2. Fouled out: Richardson.)

CHAFFEE 69, SCOTT COUNTY CENTRAL 64

SCC (64) — Cortavian Banks 27, Courtney Sanders III 12, Cameron Bean 11, Trevor Brown 8, Jack Johnson 4, Brandon Bean 2. FG: 26. FT: 5-11. F: 21. (3-pointers: C. Bean 3, Banmks 2, Brown 1, Sanders III 1. Fouled out: B. Bean, C., Bean.)

Chaffee (69) — Nolan Fowler 20, Devin Best 15, Dane McMullin 14, Rolen Reischman 8, Kamden Little 6, Kolbey Estes 3, Easton Fowler 3. FG: 23. FT: 13-25. F: 19. (3-pointers: McMullin 4, Best 3, Nolan Fowler 1, Little 1, Easton Fowler 1. Fouled out: E. Fowler, Best.)