Sports

GREENBACK — What a difference a game makes.

On Tuesday, it was Oneida facing off against Oliver Springs in a game the Indians won’t soon forget. On Saturday, it was Oneida facing off against Greenback in a game the Indians would just as soon forget.

There was another important difference between the two: A change of venue. Tuesday’s game was a consolation game on a neutral court in a loser-plays-on situation. Saturday’s was an elimination game on the Cherokees’ home court in a win-or-go-home situation.

And just four days after the Indians heated up Dallas Davis Gymnasium before the District 4-A championship game with a 64-52 consolation victory over the Bobcats, Greenback chilled Oneida with impressive 3-point and free throw shooting on its home court Saturday, effectively bringing to an end Oneida’s 2007-2008 season.

The Cherokees defeated the Indians 84-61 in the first round of the Region 2-A tournament, on a night that saw Trey Smith and Michael Martis score a combined 40 points and connect on seven 3-point shots, while Greenback connected on a spectacular 39 of 46 free throws as a team, including 23 of 29 in the fourth quarter.

Oneida opened the game with a 3-point shot by Caleb Laxton, and led 6-5 two minutes in after Jonathan Lewallen connected on three consecutive free throws, but it was obvious from the outset that the Cherokees were having one of “those” nights . . . a night when anything in the virtual vicinity of the rim seemed to fall through.

Martis and Smith teamed up for four 3-point plays in the first quarter, as the Cherokees jumped to a 16-8 lead.

Smith kept the trey train rolling in the second quarter, hitting two more as Greenback built its advantage to nine (21-12). Oneida trimmed the lead on a 3-point shot by Chuck Jeffers, who finished with 15, and ultimately put together an 11-4 run to trim the deficit to 25-23 when Alax Abbott scored on a layup with two minutes remaining.

But Greenback would score eight straight points in the final 1:44 of the first half, building the advantage to 35-25 at the intermission.

Greenback picked up where it left off in the third quarter. Smith and Martis continued to connect on 3-point shots, and the Cherokees completed a three-quarter stretch that saw them make 16 consecutive free throws before missing late in the quarter. In all, the Cherokees outscored Oneida 21-9 in the third period to take a 56-34 lead to the fourth quarter.

With the game very much in doubt, Oneida began fouling relatively early in the fourth quarter, in an effort to stop the clock as often as possible. The strategy was successful initially, as the Indians trimmed a 24-point deficit (61-37) to 15 (66-51), but the lead was simply too much to overcome.

Caleb Laxton went on a tear in the fourth quarter, hitting four consecutive 3-point shots to score 14 of his team-high 21 in the final period.

In addition to their exceptional performance from the free throw line, Greenback also shot well from the field, connecting on 18 of 35 field goal attempts. Oneida hit 20 of 48 from the field and 13 of 25 from the line. The Cherokees outrebounded the Indians 27 to 25. Each team committed 13 turnovers.

In addition to Laxton’s 21 and Jeffers’ 15, Jonathan Lewallen scored 10 points for Oneida. Mark Miller added six points, while Alax Abbott scored four points in his final game for the Indians. Braxton Hutson added two points.

Jared Orick joined Abbott as one of two Oneida seniors playing their final game for the Indians.

Against Oliver Springs, Oneida fell behind 13-0 early, but went on a 16-3 run to end the first quarter in a 16-16 deadlock with the Bobcats. The Indians took the lead for the first time, and for good, early in the second quarter, leading by as much as 17 late in the game.