Okemos - Holt v Okemos;  it's the match-up that everybody circles on their calendar for Ram and Chief fans.  In 2005, Holt took home the Class A state title.  In '06, Okemos was just a play or call away from winning it all for themselves.  The expectations weren't any lower coming into this season for the pair of Greater-Lansing titans.  Coming into the game, Okemos stood at the top of the Capital Area I standings along with East Lansing.  Holt, just a game behind.  With more than half the season already gone, Holt had a little bit more pressure to put this one in the win column and not get too far behind in the standings. 

As the players hit the floor, the noise was deafening from the O-Zone and the visiting H-Town Posse.  Holt Freshman Donlunto Jackson wasted no time scoring on the Rams' first possession and first shot, from three point land.  The long range bomb was a sign of what was yet to come from Holt's perimeter attack.  Mike Kebler answered quickly on Okemos's first shot attempt.  The first quarter was a heavyweight fight with both teams trading blows and neither getting much breathing room.  Anthony Ianni came up big in the first for the Chiefs pouring in 6 points.  Denny Means put Okemos up by 3 late in the opening quarter, 12-9.  Just as it looked like Okemos would carry the same three point lead into the 2nd, Holt's Rashawn Molden buried another Ram three ball with just tenth's of a second remaining.  Molden released the ball just as time was expiring giving Holt a much needed boost and tying things up at 12.

Both teams played pretty tight for three out of the four quarters, the 2nd was not one of them and is what would ultimately be the difference.  The Rams went on a terror from behind the arc, hitting 5 three pointers.  3 coming from Molden and the other 2 from Jackson.  Ianni had put Okemos up 16-15 early i n the 2nd, unfortunately for the Chiefs it would be the last time that they would see the lead.  After the bucket, the Rams went on a 18-3 run, pushing the lead to as much as 14 at 33-19.  The biggest stretch coming with about four minutes remaining in the half.  The Rams turned a 22-19 lead into 28-19 after three unanswered three balls.  The Chiefs had put so much emphasis on denying the ball down low and protecting the post that the three point line was left open and ripe for the picking.  Ianni scored the last bucket of the half, cutting the lead to 12 but the damage had been done.  Who knows where the Chiefs would have been without Ianni's 10 first half points.  Molden led all scorers in the first with 12, all three pointers.

The third quarter went much like the first with both teams trading baskets.  Down 12, the Chiefs couldn't afford to do that so they would just have to manage to stay within striking distance and make a final push in the fourth.  With Okemos protecting the perimeter, Paul Crosby went to work for Holt, giving them 8 much needed points inside to keep a strangle hold onto the lead.  Means and Ianni were finding plenty of room to roam and score inside but with Crosby matching them on the other side, they needed more help, especially still looking at a 10 point deficit with the 3rd quarter expiring. 

The help came in the fourth where Okemos turned up the heat and gave Holt their biggest test of the game.  Okemos turned up the defense a few notches as well, holding Holt to just 1 field goal and 9 total points.  After back to back Ianni buckets, the lead had whittled down to 6 at 48-42.  The Chiefs were able to get it down to as little as 5 but that was the plateau they could not overcome.  Holt hit several crucial free throws down the stretch and played some good defense of their own to ice the game and pick up a big conference victory, not to mention bragging rights over a big rival, at least for another month anyway.  Both teams will meet again February 23rd at Holt.  The Rams took what Okemos gave them in their 55-47 win.  Early on it was the three, in the third it was Crosby down low and in the final period, it was their free throw shooting.

Molden, Crosby and Jackson all finished with 12 a piece for Holt.  Anthony Ianni led all scorers with 20, Means had 10 and Michael Kebler added 9.  Holt goes back home to host Jackson on Tuesday.  Okemos hits the read and plays Lansing Eastern on Tuesday.  With East Lansing's victory tonight over Everett, the Trojans now have sole possession of 1st with Okemos, Holt and Jackson a game back.  It will be an exciting finish to the CAACI title race with such a slim margin separating the 4 teams.  East Lansing may have the game advantage but they must travel to both Holt and Okemos before it's over.