For the third straight game, the Odessa High boys basketball team needed a late push to try and grab a victory at the OHS Fieldhouse.
With Midland Legacy leading by one with a little over a minute left in the fourth quarter, the Bronchos needed some defensive stops and some quick baskets to ensure a victory.
Instead the Rebels used their athleticism to win the District 2-6A matchup by a 53-48 score Friday.
Odessa High boys basketball coach Neal Welch said his players look worn down after playing three close games in the past week.
He is opting to let the team take some time to refocus and recharge before jumping back into its weekly routine.
“We’re going to take tomorrow off and we’ll see them on Monday,” Welch said. “I think they need a break.”
The Bronchos got out to a fast start and built up a double-digit lead quickly in the first quarter, closing it out with an 11-point advantage.
Midland Legacy started swinging the momentum in its favor with timely baskets from Chris Brazzell and Elijah Maxwell to outscore Odessa High 16-6 in the second quarter.
Brazzell would be an important piece for the Rebels in the contest, as the forward used his speed and power on both ends of the floor.
A combination of Brazzell and Brandon Foster gave Midland Legacy a strong defensive presence under the basket, forcing the Bronchos to look for outside shots instead of letting things flow to Ivan Carreon.
Welch said his players had little energy when executing their zone defense.
“They did some things against our zone that were good, but our guys just weren’t moving,” Welch said. “They weren’t moving in the zone, they were leaving guys wide open.
“You’ve got to play zone defense just as hard as you play man defense, we didn’t do that tonight.”
The Rebels (15-12 overall, 3-5 district) went on to outscore the Bronchos 29-23 in the second half, with Brazzell recording 24 points to pace Midland Legacy.
Odessa High has suffered consecutive losses for the first time in the 2021-22 season.
Welch said his team will need to look back on its mistakes and learn quickly to regain its composure.
“We need to do a better job of just making the correct basketball play,” Welch said. “Sometimes we force things; sometimes we don’t see open teammates so we’ve just got to get better at making a basketball play.”
The Bronchos (21-7, 5-3) will face Abilene High at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday in Abilene.
>> Follow Chris Amaya on Twitter at @OA_CAmaya
Midland Legacy 53, Odessa High 48
Friday, OHS Fieldhouse
MIDLAND LEGACY (15-12, 3-5)
Donny Bishop 3 0-0 8, Chris Brazzell 10 4-6 24, Deonta Sonnier 0 0-0 0, Nate Suttle 4 0-0 11, Elijah Maxwell 4 0-0 8, Kyle Fuller 0 0-0 0, Angel Medina 0 0-0 0, Eric Sanders 0 0-0 0, Timothy Whifield 0 0-0 0, Brandon Foster 1 0-0 2, Trevor Vanhusen 0 0-0 0. Totals 22 4-6 53.
ODESSA HIGH (21-7, 5-3)
Coco Rose 4 0-0 9, Caleb Ramirez 0 0-0 0, Adrian Muzquiz 0 0-0 0, Jaylen McCowan 5 2-2 14, Ivan Carreon 7 3-4 17, Austin Marquez 0 0-0 0, LJ Willis 2 1-2 6, Christian Contee 0 0-0 0, Jordan Bruner 1 0-0 2, Richie Aguilar 0 0-0 0, Joshua Austin 0 0-0 0. Totals 19 6-8 48.
Midland Legacy…….. 8.. 16 10 19 — 53
Odessa High……….. 19…. 6 11 12 — 48
3-Point goals — Midland Legacy 5 (Bishop 2, Suttle 3), Odessa High 4 (Rose 1, McCowan 2, Willis 1). Total fouls — Midland Legacy 8, Odessa High 13. Fouled out — None. Technical fouls — None.
