Basketball Recap: O'Connor Victorious

Hagen Hurst

Points

01/24/26 @ Sotomayor	30
01/21/26 vs Warren	16
01/17/26 vs Taft	15
01/13/26 @ Stevens	16
01/09/26 vs Holmes	22
+ 15 more games

O'Connor won the last time they faced Sotomayor and Hagen Hurst did his part to make sure it happened again. The Panthers took down the WILDCATS 77-59 on Saturday thanks in part to Hurst, who dropped a double-double with 30 points and 23 rebounds. His big performance that morning made it 20 games in a row in which he has scored at least 15 points.

Ethan Bilyeu was another key player, shooting 73% from the field on his way to 26 points. He is becoming a predictor of O'Connor's success: when he posts at least 20 points the team is undefeated (and 9-12 when he doesn't).

Despite the loss, Sotomayor had strong showings from Olubunmi Odewole, who went 7-for-12 en route to 21 points, and Justin McBryde, who posted 18 points and five boards. Odewole is also on a roll when it comes to field goal percentage, as he's posted one of at least 50% in the last seven games he's played. Another player making a difference was Khylin Jackson, who earned eight points and three steals.

O'Connor's victory bumped their record up to 14-12. As for Sotomayor, they are on a four-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 12-14.

Coming up, O'Connor will take on Harlan at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. The Panthers will be up against the Hawks' rather soft defense (which has allowed 53.25 points per matchup), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance. As for Sotomayor, they will challenge Marshall at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The WILDCATS will be up against the Rams' rather soft defense (which has allowed 61.65 points per contest), so fans could be in store for a big offensive performance.