One year ago at this time, the boys basketball teams at Woodcreek and Oakmont high schools met on the court at Casa Roble High in Orangevale. The occasion was the title game of the John Hauselt Invitational Tournament.

Now, 12 months later, the two squads find themselves in the same position, as they will meet Saturday on the same floor for a tourney title. The game will not count in the league standings, but it will give us an early look at two of the Sierra Foothill League’s top teams on the same floor.

Last season, Woodcreek rolled in the Hauselt final, but while they won both regular season meetings, both games were much more competitive.

“They are a very good team,” said Oakmont coach Rick Campbell. “We’ll have to see how it goes against them.”

The teams have both had early success, but their styles are quite different. The Timberwolves have the tallest player in 6-foot-11 center Mike Kurtz, but it is Oakmont, with twin towers Tony Gill (6-8) and J.T. Adenrele (6-6) that likes to play the half-court game and work the post.

Woodcreek can also throw it in there, but Burnel Pinkerton’s group prefers to run it at you at 100 miles-per-hour, trapping and pressing you into submission.

Gill and Adenrele are establishing a nice feel for playing together, and Pinkerton has noticed.

“They are very talented in the middle,” Pinkerton said. “And they do a nice job of finding each other.”

It will be a battle between a deep Woodcreek team that runs at you in waves, somewhat reminiscent of the old Dean Smith blue team-white team wholesale substitution days at North Carolina. Oakmont, on the other hand, is very good in the starting five but does not go much deeper than seven or eight players.

Pace will be a key to the contest, as Woodcreek tries to get the Vikings to rush it up and get into a race with its pressure and Oakmont looks to get the ball up court and establish the high-low game with its big men.

Game time is scheduled for 8 p.m. Saturday.

Woodcreek 82, Casa Roble 32

Watching the Woodcreek High boys basketball team play so far this season is like watching a finely tuned Ferrari.

While he occasionally gets up off the bench to shout some instructions to his charges, for the most part head coach Burnel Pinkerton has been able to roll the ball out there and let them go. Whether his first unit is on the floor or his reserves, the squad does not miss a beat.

In a pair of blowout wins during the first two days of the John Hauselt Invitational Thursday and Friday nights, the Timberwolves’ biggest problem was the running clock that kicked in during the fourth quarter, limiting the touches for their least-used backups.

The scoring of Nik Milani has continued to impress, as has his work on the glass. Mike Kurtz has been a force in the paint as well, but it is on the perimeter where Woodcreek is most impressive.

The defensive pressure starts well into the backcourt and continues up and down the floor. Everywhere you look, Milani, Ryan Milat, Nik Stathopoulos, Ryan Sondhi and Derek Anganes are in a passing lane and disrupting an opposing offense before racing into a transition scoring chance.

In Friday’s 82-32 semifinal win over Casa Roble, the Timberwolves ran out to a 29-4 lead after the first period and then cruised home from there. Milani scored 14 to lead the way, with Milat adding 13 and Kurtz 10. Reserve center Sam Anderson scored eight points in a strong performance as well

Oakmont 70, Cordova 47

The ability of its big man to pass the ball was once again key as the Oakmont High boys basketball team took care of Cordova Friday night.

Playing in the second round of the John Hauselt Invitational at Casa Roble, the Vikings let Cordova hang around for a little while before opening a nine-point halftime advantage and then increasing that to 16 by the end of the third. Oakmont was able to clear its bench midway through the final stanza as it beat the Lancers 70-47.

Tony Gill scored most of his 20 points right at the rim as teammates found him rolling to the basket all night long. Point guard Fred Mobley dished out six assists for the Vikings and forward J.T. Adenrele delivered for Gill on four occasions.

Mobley added 13 points and Adenrele worked his way free for 12 of his own. Both Gill and Adenrele are adept at looking over the top of the defense and setting each other up for easy scoring chances, and that was a big key against Cordova.

That work at the offensive end, combined with five blocked shots by Adenrele at the opposite end, made life miserable for the Lancers. Gill grabbed 11 boards to lead Oakmont.

It was a breakout game for reserve guard Matt Daly, who got big minutes off the bench, and did a nice job at both ends. He chipped in with seven points and also had three huge assists.

The Vikings face Woodcreek at 8 p.m. tonight in the tournament’s championship game.