At last: Oakland High ends seven-game run of heartbreak vs. Oakland Tech ...Middle East

OAKLAND — As the final seconds bled off the clock inside a packed Oakland Tech gym, the noise flipped. 

What had long been a hostile house turned into an Oakland High celebration. Pockets of Wildcat fans rose to their feet and chanted “O-High” as the scoreboard settled on a long awaited truth: Oakland 67, Oakland Tech 59. In a game where heartbreak felt routine, the Wildcats finally exhaled – hugging, shouting and savoring a rivalry win years in the making. 

Oakland’s road victory snapped a seven-game losing streak to its crosstown rival dating back to 2024, a run defined by narrow margins and frustrating defeats. Tech, the standard-bearer atop the Oakland Athletic League for the past two seasons, had found ways to close those tight contests. 

On Friday night, it was Oakland that stayed composed, controlled the finish and sent a message that the balance of the OAL might finally be shifting.

“Coming into this game we knew we had to beat them and end this streak,” senior Da’sean Armstrong, who had been on the losing end of 10 of his 11 career games against Tech in his four-year career, said. “We did our thing tonight.”

D-Ari Bruce led the way for Oakland, scoring 19 points and grabbing seven rebounds. Armstrong finished with a 11 points, seven rebounds, three steals and two assists while senior Romyn Waugh added eight points. 

Oakland built a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never trailed as the Wildcats notched a key league win. 

“When we’re connected, our defense is really good and that gave us a big lead,” Oakland coach Orlando Watkins said. “We know Tech fights and they will never give up. They got back in the game, but then we rallied again and that’s how we pulled it out.” 

The angst to get over the Tech hump was evident early for the Wildcats. Oakland jumped out to a sizzling 13-0 run to start the game and didn’t allow the Bulldogs to score a field goal until the 1:55 mark of the first quarter. 

A strong second quarter push from Tech closed the gap to just a 27-21 advanatge for Oakland, and behind a raucous crowd, the Bulldogs felt one more run away from taking over the game. 

But Oakland wasn’t going to give up its lead that easily. 

Behind steady scoring and timely defensive stops, Oakland managed to rebuild its lead to as much as 15 late in the third quarter. The tandem of Bruce and Waugh combined for 17 of Oakland’s 24 third-quarter points, bruising their way to the basket while barreling over smaller defenders. 

A Jasen Davis 3-pointer cut the Oakland lead to as little as seven in the fourth quarter, but by then it was too late. The Wildcats had already found their groove and were determined to not let this game slip away. 

“We knew the crowd was going to be packed and we knew everyone in the gym wanted to see us lose,” Bruce said. “We didn’t let that get to us. We stuck together as a team. We played together as a team, and that was the main thing that led us to a win tonight.” 

Davis led the way for Tech with 25 points – 17 coming in the final quarter – but it wasn’t enough to send the Tech crowd home with a win. 

Tech suffered its first regular season OAL loss since 2022, snapping a 35-game winning streak against league opponents. The Bulldogs (12-8, 2-1) were playing their best ball as of late, winning their previous six going into Friday’s game. 

Coach Karega Hart said his team played timid from the outset and couldn’t find its rhythm until the final quarter. 

“We played with a lot of nervous energy, missed a lot of easy plays and we didn’t play great team basketball,” Hart said. “There were a lot of uncharacteristic turnovers. It was just one of those days where you just were not playing good ball and we just kind of needed to settle in a little more.” 

After a few close losses to open the season, Oakland (15-5, 3-0) has established a resume that points to the Wildcats being the favorite to win the OAL this season. 

Oakland had an impressive showing at the Tarkanian Classic, winning all five games in the Gatorade Bracket to take home the tournament championship. The Wildcats have quality local wins over Alameda, Acalanes, Campolindo and now Tech. They took De La Salle down to the wire on the road as the Concord powerhouse needed a miraculous buzzer beater to steal away a win. 

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Watkins believes his team has the potential to be special come playoff time. ‘

“I actually told the kids they haven’t even started to see their ceiling,” Watkins said. “I think they’re meeting my expectations and I think we can do something special. But once again, every day, we gotta keep stacking good habits. Those equate to wins.”

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