DES MOINES -- Cedar Rapids Washington and Sioux City East battled it out at Wells Fargo Arena on Saturday in a game that felt like a state tournament tuneup.

The state wrestling tournament, that is.

The Warriors put burly 6-foot-4 Sean Bredl on Black Raiders star Adam Woodbury, who stands 7-1. Bredl bumped and shoved and, at one point, even rode on the back of Woodbury.

East countered by having 5-8 Jordan Menard shadow Washington’s 6-6 sharpshooter Josh Oglesby. Menard pushed and tugged at the Iowa recruit until the moment he fouled out.

Oglesby was better able to shake off the rugged play, and his jumper from the free-throw line with 45 seconds remaining broke a tie and allowed Washington to earn a 45-41 victory.

“We’re used to physical games playing in the MVC,” Washington guard Wesley Washpun said. “We were in our comfort zone. That helped us out more than I think it hurt us.”

The first half was played at East’s pace. Washington scored just two points in the second quarter and trailed 20-15 at halftime. Oglesby had only three points at that point.

But the Warriors started the second half with a full-court press that had its intended result.

“We definitely needed to speed the game up,” Washpun said. “They got those big guys inside (Woodbury and 6-11 Mading Thok) and they are really good in the halfcourt. We needed to get the pace up so they weren’t able to just rest in the halfcourt.”

Washington outscored East 18-8 in the third quarter, but Woodbury and Thok combined for nine points in the fourth as the Black Raiders (14-4) forced a 41-41 tie.

Everyone knew where Washington (12-8) was going with the ball. It was just a matter of where Oglesby would catch it, and how clear his look at the basket would be.
Oglesby, an Iowa recruit, headed toward the left corner, found no room to maneuver and started working his way back toward the center of the court. Finally, he curled toward the free-throw line, took a pass from Washpun and drained the jump shot.

“The corner wasn’t open. So I came off another two screens, curled it and saw an opening,” said Oglesby, who had a game-high 20 points. “It was just look at the back of the rim and shoot it.”

After Oglesby’s jumper, the Warriors got a key defensive play. Cybryan Moa stole J.C. Fuller’s crosscourt pass, dribbled downcourt and fed Washpun for a layup that sealed the outcome.

“We really emphasize rushing the 3-point line, so we didn’t want to give up the win right away. But we also wanted to pack it in and make them work for it,” Washpun said.
“We got a skip pass out of it. And our guys are really good at anticipating those passes off the wings.”

Oglesby said he’s used to being manhandled by opponents. It comes with the territory when you’re the focal point of your team’s offense.

“Not trying to be cocky, but all year long, they’ve forced me, they double-teamed me, they triangle-and-two me, box-and-one me, shoved me,” Oglesby said.

“Some of our guys aren’t as good shooters as they could be, so they sag off them and make it hard to go to the hole. You just have to let the game come to you and get open, and that’s what I did in the second half. I just had to stay positive.”

Washpun said the Warriors had a simple message for their star at intermission:

“We really just told him to just settle down, wait in one spot, not run around so much. Because that was just tiring himself out. And they were doubling off the picks, so he wasn’t really getting open even with running around like that.”

Woodbury, a highly recruited junior, finished with just nine points and was despondent afterward.

“I have to play better. I just wasn’t very good today,” he said.

“We’re a better team than them.”

Washpun isn’t so sure about that. He’s looking forward to a return trip to Wells Fargo Arena, for the state tournament.

“We’re really excited to come back here and get another chance to play here in about three weeks,” he said.

C.R. WASHINGTON (45): Alex Carr 2 0-0 6, Wesley Washpun 4 0-3 8, Cybryan Moa 2 0-0 6, Josh Oglesby 7 2-5 20, Trent Hoekstra 0 0-0 0, Sean Bredl 1 0-0 2, McCauley Todd 1 1-1 3. Totals 17 3-9 45.

S.C. EAST (41): Marcel Dunson 1 0-0 2, Quinton Behlers 3 0-0 8, Quenton James 1 0-0 2, JC Fuller 3 0-0 6, Jordan Menard 1 0-0 2, Alex Imming 2 0-1 4, Adam Woodbury 3 1-2 7, Mading Thok 2 4-4 8, Dillon Godfrey 1 0-0 2. Totals 17 5-7 41.

Halftime -- SC East 20, Washington 15. 3-point goals -- Washington 8 (Oglesby 4, Carr 2, Moa 2), SC East 2 (Behlers 2). Fouls -- Washington 14, SC East 15. Fouled out -- Bredl, Menard.