The Oxford Blackhawks boys basketball team honors its lone senior; John Rovente alongside his parents. John finished his special night with a career-high of 22 points. (Photo by Morgan Golliver)

OXFORD – The Oxford Blackhawks boys basketball team came away with a 62-60 win in the final seconds of play against a fierce Deposit/Hancock. Prior to the game, the Blackhawks honored lone senior, John Rovente.

John is a three-sport athlete at Oxford where he played soccer, basketball, and will finish his tennis career in the spring. He will be pursuing a degree in business and marketing as he attends college in the fall and has potential to play sports at a collegiate level.

John also led the Blackhawks with a career-high of 22 points in the win. A game that didn’t come easy as it came down to the final seconds. Oxford was able to hold Deposit/Hancock on defense and set up big shots when it mattered most as the Eagles kept inching closer.

John and Caden Rifanburg helped make sure that their opponent didn’t spoil a special night. Rifanburg drilled three three-point shots, including a crucial one in the fourth quarter, and finished with 19 points. Oxford also went to the line in the final seconds where they at least made the final two points to seal the victory.

Oxford will be hosting Unadilla Valley on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Blackhawks currently stand at 5-13 on the season and are tied with Unadilla Valley and Sidney with a 4-6 MAC record.

Scores by Quarter:

D/H 10 18 18 16—60

OX 16 12 20 14–62

D/H: Blake Fortunato 18, Evan Persbacker 17, Alejandro Gonzalez 11, Thomas Reiss 4, Zech Pegel 4, Nate Smothers 4, Frank Hernandez 2.

OX: John Rovente 22, Caden Rifanburg 19, Eli Bennett 7, Jared Sheridan 5, Donovan Rickard 5, Sylas Emerson 2, Adyn Ross 2.

Three-Pointers: D/H 6 (Persbacker 4, Gonzalez, Fortunato); OX 7 (Rovente 3, Rifanburg 3, Rickard)