OFC: Robbins leads Tigers over EC, Lady Redbirds coast to semifinals

Clearwater's Charles Robbins charges down the court to a lay-up against the East Carter Redbirds on Saturday during the first round of the OFC tournament.

DAR/D'Courtland Christian

DONIPHAN — The Ozark Foothills Conference basketball tournament kicked off on Saturday at Doniphan High School as many teams looked to make it out of the first round.

The No. 2 seed East Carter Lady Redbirds got the tournament rolling by facing off against the No. 7 seeded Clearwater Lady Tigers.

The Lady Redbirds didn’t waste any time building up a strong lead against their opponents, and after a first-quarter offensive surge, they got an easy route to the semifinals with a 74-14 win.

The Lady Redbirds improved to 19-2 on the season, and after placing third in the tournament last year, they’re looking to find a spot in the finals.

East Carter got into their groove early by establishing an offensive advantage over Clearwater, who struggled to get much going. The Lady Redbirds got a lot of scoring help as most of the team captured a basket, which led to a 22-0 run within the first few minutes of the game.

Clearwater stood no chance against this red-hot East Carter squad. The Lady Redbirds continued to dominate for the remainder of the game, allowing a day of rest for their starters.

Senior Dylan Price led the Lady Redbirds with 18 points, while Parker Golden and Anna Crowley both dropped 16 points.

East Carter is set to play Naylor/Neelyville in the semifinals on Monday at Doniphan at 8:30 p.m.

CLEARWATER 67, EAST CARTER 61

While the Lady Redbirds had an easy route to the next round, the boys didn’t have enough to get past the Clearwater Tigers.

With an explosive game from Clearwater’s Charles Robbins, the Tigers found themselves out front for most of the game and would secure their spot in the OFC semifinals with a 67-61 win over the Redbirds.

Robbins was on a mission as he drove constantly to the rim to help his team move on to the next round. He finished with 32 points.

Robbins said it felt good to get the win, and he’s looking forward to facing off against Greenville.

“We felt pretty good coming into the game,” Robbins said. “Our goal is to come out and win for a spot in the finals with a chance to win the championship for the first time in history. I felt good today. My teammates and coaches have trusted me to create plays, and I've just been working hard on my game for moments like this.”

Both teams started off with an even flow of trading baskets. Clearwater made some impressive shots from beyond the arc, and the Redbirds found an easy path inside the paint.

Whenever the Tigers saw an opportunity to make a run, East Carter was there to halt them in their tracks. Robbins would be the difference maker in the second quarter as he began to find a rhythm. He dropped 19 points and carried Clearwater into halftime with a 34-22 lead.

Despite trailing for most of the game, the Redbirds slowly found their stride in the third. They kept the game close with consistent shooting under the basket. Though their offense was flourishing at times, the Redbirds needed to find a way to slow down Clearwater if they wanted a shot at the next round.

Clearwater wouldn’t allow the lead to slip away as they connected with multiple baskets in the fourth, extending the lead to double-digits. The Redbirds would cut the deficit within five in the final moments of the game, but it wouldn’t be enough to claim the win.

Landon Towe helped with the victory for the Tigers by chipping in with 17 points, while Lance Dilport added with nine. Wyatt Chase and Brenden Reynolds led the Redbirds with 17 points and Mason Carter added with 11 points.

Clearwater will have a tough task ahead by taking on the No. 1 seed Greenville Bears, who took the championship last season. The matchup kicks off on Tuesday at Doniphan at 8 p.m.

Clearwater head coach Zac Moore said he was proud of his team’s effort. He said they entered the matchup with a solid game plan, as this was the third time they played East Carter. As they get prepared to take on Greenville, he wants his team to be focused and ready to play.

“We need to be ready on Tuesday,” Moore said. “Our goal is to limit Trey Porter in the post and close out on all shooters because Greenville is really talented. We’re in the same county, so we’ve seen them quite a bit, but it just comes down to execution.”