| "Live by the three, die by the three." It's an old basketball adage that if flipped around would describe Titusville's latest matchup with Oil City. Stream TV commentator Jim Bodamer himself exclaimed those very words on air during the game. In the first half, the Rockets were mostly dying by the three, flinging almost two dozen at the hoop and only connecting for five. These misses were rarely followed up by defensive rebounds that the Oilers were quick to capitalize on. By midway through the first quarter, Oil City had clear control of the game and recorded 15 unanswered points. Manny Perez sunk a three-pointer with 40 seconds to go to finally end the Oil City landslide. But the second quarter started much the same with a 12-point run in the first three minutes. It was another three-pointer, this one by Hudson Fratus, with 4:30 remaining that finally moved the Titusville total forward. By the end of the half, Oil City had doubled up on Titusville 46-23, thanks mainly to an 11-performance by Sayyid Donald and nine points from both Connor Highfield and Ethen Knox. The Rockets came out of the locker room ready to flip the script and live by the three in the second half. They were more selective of three-point attempts and sunk 7, including some from well beyond the line. Before the night was over, Perez, Fratus, Isiah Colon and Kasen Neely combined for 12 treys, representing 36 of the team's overall point total of 55. Despite Titusville's strong second-half play, the Oilers remained consistent throughout the last 16 minutes, never letting their lead shrink to less than 14. Oil City moves to 5-1 in region play with the 75-55 win. Colon had a game-high performance with 20 points. Perez had 13, Fratus had nine, Andrew Wheeling, who spent much of the game in foul trouble, had seven and Neely had six. Titusville falls to 2-4 in region play. Oil City had a more balanced offensive attack. Jake Hornbeck led the team with 19 points, followed by Cam VanWormer with 16, Highfield with 10, Donald with 9 and Knox with 11. Also recording points for the Oilers were Gavin Stephens with five, Will McMahon with three and Colin Liederbach with two. Titusville plays next against Franklin Tuesday night at the Launch Pad. Oil City plays Corry the same night at home in the House of Hustle. Editor's Note: Player stats were updated after posting. |  Eight & 322 file photos      |
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