O’Dea Wins 2015 Bothell Holiday Classic
By Steve Dion
| Wednesday- December 30th | 2015 | Boys | 4A/3A | KingCo/Metro | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bothell High School | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | OT | Final | |
| Bothell | 15 | 12 | 24 | 30 | 6 | 87 | |
| O'Dea | 19 | 20 | 24 | 21 | 15 | 96 | |
O’Dea Fighting Irish
The final game for the 21st Annual Bothell Holiday Classic featured O’Dea and the host team Bothell Cougars. This high-scoring affair opened with a 9-point first quarter by Cougar sophomore Jake Medjo who finished with 21 total and 10 first half points by Cameron Tyson who ended with a game-high 31 points. The Irish countered with sharpshooter Quin Barnard who found a rhythm from distance as the first half progressed. The senior guard recorded 13 of his 29 in the first two quarters included three from downtown. The Irish closed the first half strong and took a twelve point lead into the break.
Bothell would need to find a way to gradually chip away at the deficit if they were to hoist the hardware on their floor. By the 3:42 mark in the third quarter, the scoreboard read 46-43 in favor of O’Dea. As the clock winded down in the fourth, Bothell faced another sizable margin to overcome. This is the point when Cameron Tyson and Josh Kollman sparked a heroic comeback. The Cougs defense got the defensive stops it needed and the scoring duo capitalized on the other end. Trailing by two with five seconds remaining, O’Dea’s Barnard was at the free-throw line to shoot two. The first was nothing but net. The second shot rimmed out and Tyson grabbed the rebound. He rushed down the floor and let one go from the top of the key at the buzzer. After clanging around the rim and backboard, the shot fell and the gym burst into elation. The championship game was headed to overtime.
O’Dea coach Jason Kerr gathered his squad and told his players, “Regulation is over…you gotta start a new game for four minutes.” They responded accordingly as the Irish rattled off a dozen points in extra time. A dagger three pointer by Barnard sealed the deal. After the trophy ceremony, when asked about how winning this tournament sets up his team for league play, Kerr stated, “When they execute correctly, they can play with anybody.” Congratulations to O’Dea on their tournament victory.
The Final Score
O’Dea 96, Bothell 87
Top Performers:
O’Dea
Quin Barnard (Tournament MVP)- 29 points
Bothell
Cameron Tyson- 31 points (Made 3 point shot at end of regulation to force overtime)