Oilers season ends with a tough loss at home

The opening round of the PIAA basketball playoffs between Oil City and Neshannock had the makings of a blowout. 

Oil City jumped into the lead and looked like they were in command right up until about the three-minute mark of the third quarter.

​That's when their 15-point lead began to slowly erode under the pressure of Lancers top scorer Jack Giles. ​At the end of the third, the Oilers still held an 11-point lead.

Then Giles and company got really aggressive with a full-court press, steals and easy buckets. Right around the two-minute mark, Neshannock took the lead for the first time of the evening and they didn’t relinquish it.

Giles had a monster game pouring in 31, including the last seven points, He kept his team just enough out of reach that even a Connor Highfield three-pointer with four seconds left wasn’t quite enough.

A very quick foul sent Giles to the line where he hit one of two. On the rebound, the Oilers had one more frantic shot, but the highly contested Cam VanWormer three missed the mark.

Neshannock won 61-59.

Earlier in the game, it seemed Oil City had the answers, but by the end the Lancers aggressive play that wasn't drawing the officials whistles had them frustrated and off-kilter.

​Cam Van Wormer’s team-high 18 points were supplemented by an incredibly even attack with Jacob Hornbeck pouring in 13 while Highfield having 10 and Ethen Knox and Sayyid Donald both contributing nine each.
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The Oiler’s solid season came to an end with a 19-7 record.