BRADFORD, Pa. – Otto-Eldred used a 7-0 run at the start of the second overtime to beat Oswayo Valley, 59-58, in the District 9 Class 1A quarterfinals at Bradford High School.
(Cover photo of Otto-Eldred’s Bosco Ramiro Alonzo. Photo by Paul Burdick. Check out more of Burdick’s work here)
The victory, the first postseason win for the third-seeded Terrors (14-9) since 1998, was a come-from-behind one for Otto, which trailed by nine, 38-29, with under five minutes to play in regulation and by five, 43-38, with three minutes left.
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But a quick 5-0 spurt that was capped by a Dylan Close basket with about two minutes left tied the game at 43, and that was where it stood at the end of regulation.
Neither team did much in the first overtime scoring three points apiece, but the 7-0 run followed by clutch free-throw shooting by the Terrors in the second overtime secured the victory, which was set at one after a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Oswayo Valley’s Garren Black.
Bosco Ramiro Alonzo, an exchange student from Spain, was the difference maker for Otto-Eldred.
Coming into the game averaging 5.9 points per game with only three double-digit games to his name and none higher than 12 points, Ramiro Alonzo exploded for 28 points, the most by any Terror this season, including seven in overtime. He also had seven rebounds, seven steals and six assists.
Close added 13 points for Otto including a big fourth-quarter 3-pointer while Damen Palmer and Seth Drummond each chipped in with seven points.
Otto led 21-16 at halftime after outscoring sixth-seeded Oswayo Valley (12-11) 12-6 in the second quarter thanks to 10 points from Ramiro Alonzo, who hit a career-best five 3-pointers in the game.
But the Green Wave came out strong in the third quarter and outscored the Terrors 20-8 in the frame to take a 36-29 lead after three.
Taige Bryant scored all nine of his points in the third quarter to lead the charge for Oswayo Valley.
Black led the Green Wave with 15 points with Theo Henry adding 12, Gavin Babcock 10 and Garrett Babcock nine.
Otto will take on seventh-seeded Johnsonburg in the semifinals at a date and time to be determined. With the victory, the Terrors also secured a PIAA playoff berth.
OTTO-ELDRED 59, OSWAYO VALLEY 58, 2 OVERTIMES
Score by Quarters
Oswayo Valley 10 6 20 7 3 12 – 58
Otto-Eldred 9 12 8 14 3 13 – 59
OSWAYO VALLEY – 58
Garrett Babcock 3 1-3 9, Theo Henry 5 1-1 12, Gavin Babcock 3 3-4 10, Jacob Karr, 1 1-3 3, Taige Bryant 4 1-2 9, Garren Black 7 0-0 15, Gage Babcock 0 0-0 0, Totals 23 7-17 58.
OTTO-ELDRED – 59
Sawyer Drummond 1 2-2 4, Dylan Close 4 4-8 13, Damen Palmer 2 2-6 7, Bosco Ramiro Alonzo 11 1-2 28, Jordan Sherwood 0 0-0 0, Seth Drummond 2 2-3 7, Trey Dalton 0 0-0 0, Keagan Bisker 0 0-0 0, Mark Miller 0 0-0 0, Andrew Sheeler 0 0-0 0, Nick York 0 0-0 0. Totals 20 11-21 59.
Three-pointers: Oswayo Valley 5 (Garrett Babcock 2, Black, Gavin Babcock Henry). Otto-Eldred 8 (Ramiro Alonzo 5, Close, Palmer, Seth Drummond)
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