Meet Zach-Attack and Ocke-Dokie. No, they are not super-hero cartoon characters. However, they are two of the premiere players in the mega GWOC.
The Sidney-Piqua rivalry in recent years has become as non-rivalry as Ohio State vs North Dakota State. That being said, Sidney crunched Piqua 73-43 Tuesday in a GWOC make-up game.
Sidney led 27-20 at the break, then outscored the Indians 25-8 in the third quarter to open up a 52-28 bulge, and never looked back. The Jackets’ main stingers combined for eight more points than the entire Piqua squad.
Daniel Ocke poured in 26 points from all over the floor and Zach Yinger pounded inside for 25 points and 14 rebounds to record his sixth double-double of the season.
But this story isn’t about the lopsided victory. Rather, it’s about two of the most prolific scorers in Sidney school history–Zach Yinger and Daniel Ocke.
In less than three complete seasons together, the dynamic duo has served up over 1,850 points and are on pace to finish with over 2,000 points. They have guided the Jackets to the second best, three-year-stretch in coach Tom Clark’s 18 seasons with 34 wins and counting.
Ocke said, “Zach and I are good friends. We have played together since 5th grade. There is no animosity between us. Our whole team gets along well which makes it that much more fun.”
Yinger chimed, “This year especially has been a lot of fun. We both get to do our own thing. We are both good at different parts of our game. And if one isn’t on, the other takes over. It’s tough to guard both of us.”
Neither player is better than the other. They both complement one another like “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.” The 6′ 4″ Yinger is the dominant force inside with a nice outside touch and the 6′ 6″ Ocke can bomb from long-range or play high post position. In a nutshell, they both can play multiple positions.
And coach Clark does a nice job of utilizing their versatility, depending upon the matchup situation.
“We’ve asked both to do a lot of different things for us and they have responded,” said Clark. “I’ve enjoyed coaching them. They respond well to coaching and they’re good students.”
No doubt both players share the load, but each has had its own shining moment. Against Northmont, Ocke lit it up with 40 points on 15-of-21 shooting. That game, Yinger contributed 13 points and 12 rebounds. Against Dayton Stivers, Yinger was dominant, scoring 33 points on 10-of-19 from the field. That night, Ocke added 18 points and eight rebounds.
Yinger is averaging 17.8 points (4th in GWOC) and 10.8 rebounds (2nd in GWOC). He is shooting 49.4 percent from the field and 77 percent from the foul line, converting 80-of-104. The 104 attempts is the third most in the conference. Inotherwords, Yinger can draw the foul.
Yinger said, “I like to drive hard and force the action. Sometimes I will pull up for the jumper. Overall, I like to play aggressive and not back down from anything.”
Ocke is averaging 21.7 points (2nd in GWOC) and 7.3 rebounds (12th in GWOC). He is shooting 50 percent from the floor, 34.2 percent from three-point, and 75 percent from the charity stripe.
Ocke said, “I like to take advantage of my height and length. I can go inside on smaller defender or shoot over smaller defender from the outside. I try to exploit any mismatches. I am most comfortable at the high post where I can make a one dribble move and then get the shot off.
Sidney travels to Troy Friday with an 8-8 mark. The Jackets beat Troy in the first meeting 73-69 in overtime back in December. Ocke and Yinger combined for 50 points and 25 rebounds.
Troy coach Tim Miller, who was scouting the game, summed it best, “It’s pick your poison. The key is slowing both down.”
We both laughed and said simultaneously, “easier said than done.”
Side Note: Anybody out there? Daniel Ocke is flying under the radar with Division I mid-major colleges. Check out this highlight reel at www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbJxAUR5aSU and witness some game.
