Medi-tron: Obang rains 35 points in win over Faribault

Published 9:55 pm Friday, December 21, 2018

When the Packers need a big shot, they know exactly who to turn to and that big shooter came through for them again as they beat Faribault 84-73 in Packer Gym Friday.

Austin senior Medi Obang scored 30 of his 35 points in the second frame as he broke the 30-point barrier for the third time this season in the win for Austin.

The Packers (4-1 overall, 4-1 Big Nine) never trailed in the second half, but the Falcons (3-4 overall, 2-3 Big Nine) did get as close as 44-41 before Obang went on his three-point shooting spree that saw him hit four threes in a span of a few minutes.

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“I feel like those guys look for me and then I feel like I have to be a leader and step up and hit my shot,” Obang said.

Obang also showed his versatility down the stretch as he made a couple of strong finishes at the rack to help put the game away. His offense has lifted Austin early on, and Austin head coach Kris Fadness said he’s proven to be the go-to guy.

Austin’s Teyghan Hovland drives to the hoop in the first half against Faribault in Packer Gym Friday night. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

“Medi’s never lacked for confidence offensively. Never,” Fadness said. “He believes he’s going to make every shot he takes and sometimes it’s hard because he takes some shots that as a coach you pull your hair out over and it rolls in. The bottom line is we’ve got to live with some of it.”

The Packers struggled offensively early on as Faribault’s man-to-man defense made life difficult for them in the lane. Faribault was able to hang around due to the effort by senior Joe Palmer, who finished with 42 points.

“We weren’t physical enough going to the basket and we were just struggling to get to the hoop,” said Austin senior Dongrin Deng, who had 12 points, four rebounds and five steals. “Palmer was shooting well and we just weren’t getting out to him fast enough.”

Austin’s Gavin Owens shoots under pressure against Faribault Friday night in Packer Gym. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com

The Falcons kept up the intensity the entire game as they stayed within single digits for much of the night.

“They played good man to man defense,” Fadness said. “They did a nice job of getting early help when we drove to the basket. They took some charges and they blocked shots at the rim. We had a tough time scoring at the basket. I credit their defense.”

Faribault 28  45    73

Austin 36  48    84

Austin scoring: Medi Obang, 35; Dongrin Deng, 12; Agwa Nywesh, 10; Gavin Owens, 7; Moses Idris, 6; Teyghan Hovland, 5; Ngor Deng, 5; free throws: 58 percent (14-for-24); rebounds: 21 (Deng, 4); turnovers: 14