When the Oakville Senior High School boys’ basketball team steps onto the court in the Mizzou Arena Friday night, history will be made.

The Tigers (24-7, 7-2 Suburban West Conference) have advanced to the Class 5 semifinal game for the first time in school history after Saturday’s historic 68-48 win over Hazelwood Central in the state quarterfinal.

One of the keys to the Tigers’ win over Hazelwood Central was Oakville’s defensive play. Oakville held the Hawks to just 48 points, well below the team’s 65.8-points-per-game average.

“If we play well defensively, we’re always going to have a shot,” Oakville head coach Nick Traxler said. “It’s fun when you can say a lot of positive things about your boys, but the season’s not over.”

The Tigers held a 14-13 lead after one quarter, but proceeded to shoot down the Hawks in the second quarter on a 17-7 run to take a 31-20 advantage by halftime. Oakville continued to scorch the Hawks in the third quarter, out-scoring them 49-30.

“I think that Hazelwood Central was averaging around 65 points a game,” Traxler said. “We ended up holding them to just 48 points.”

Oakville’s Keith Pickens led all scorers with 22 points and six rebounds. Pickens also recorded seven blocked shots, two assists and one steal. The senior guard goes into the Class 5 semifinal averaging 15.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. He is slated to play basketball at Missouri State next season.

“I think that Keith realizes that this is his last go-around,” Traxler said. “I think that he stood head and shoulders above everyone in that game.”

Sophomore point guard Javier Duren also scored in double figures with 18 points and eight rebounds. In addition, Duren recorded six assists and one steal in his best offensive showing of the season.

“Considering the situation, I think that this was Javier’s best game this season,” Traxler said. “The thing about him is that he continues to get better in every game and he’s only a sophomore.”

Oakville’s Torraino Hellems had a solid game with nine points and three rebounds. The sophomore guard also had two assists and one steal in the win.

“Torraino came off the bench and took control of the game at the point-guard spot,” Traxler said. “He ended up holding Bryce Foster to just 13 points and Foster’s been averaging about 18 points a game this season.”

The Tigers will take on Grandview High School in the state semifinal at 5 p.m. Friday in the Mizzou Arena in Columbia. The 28-1 Bulldogs are the No. 1 team in Class 5.

“Grandview’s an extremely athletic team,” Traxler said. “They’re ranked No. 1 in the state and they play a tough schedule, so if you’re 28-1, you’re going to be pretty good.

“But at this point, we have to focus on what we do well in order to win.”