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NORTH HOLLYWOOD — With less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter of the Oakwood boys basketball game, guards Ben Eisendrath and Peyton Slaughter went to the bench for their only break of the night.
When Oakwood coach Steve Smith called for subs, Eisendrath pleaded a case to finish the quarter, telling his coach, “I’m good.”
He may have been, but there’s no doubt Smith made the right call to give the duo a breather.
Both players checked back in to start the fourth and didn’t miss a beat, playing the rest of the way to lead Oakwood past visiting Valley View in an 81-74 playoff victory in the second round of the CIF Southern Section Division 3A playoffs Friday night.
The Owls (19-8) will travel to Newport Harbor for a quarterfinal bout on Tuesday night at 7 p.m.
The pace of Oakwood’s practices was directly responsible for both Eisendrath and Slaughter being able to play at such a high level while almost never leaving the court.
“We try and make sure our practices are very intentional,” said Smith, who also serves as an assistant coach for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks. “High-paced as much as possible to try and to emulate a game situation.”
Oakwood started its season 0-4, taking losses to programs like Maranatha and Agoura in that stretch, both of which went on to win their respective leagues this season. The Owls also played Windward, St. Anthony, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks, Gardena Serra, and Saugus this year. All teams in much higher divisions.
Wes Spivak hits a wing 3ball for Oakwood. The Owls lead AGBU 21-14 in the second quarter in Canoga Park. Big Liberty League showdown. Small school supremacy on the line. pic.twitter.com/kAxDAIst5O
— Tarek Fattal (@Tarek_Fattal) January 25, 2023
It shows Smith’s philosophy on competition isn’t just in practice, it’s in the way he built the schedule, which has proven to pay off so far this…
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