Reynoldsburg 69, Gahanna 56 - Prospect Scouting Report
The Raiders' abundance of talent looked sharp in convincing win
REYNOLDSBURG, OH - Chuckles were spread amongst local hoop circles when the latest Central Ohio RPI rankings came out and featured Reynoldsburg, one of the region’s most talented teams, at 19 despite a 7-3 record that’s considered one of the state’s most challenging schedules.
In front of a near sold-out home crowd, the Raiders made a mockery of the ranking and looked the part of a deep and talented squad that would suggest they’re one of the best in the region.
After a brief back-and-forth that started the game with a tie at 8 a piece, Reynoldsburg sophomore Jorden Bowens’ back-to-back buckets sparked a run that would put the Raiders in the driver seat for the remainder of the game. The Raiders outscored the Lions by 15 points in the second period to take a 47-27 halftime lead.
Led by an admirable charge by Gahanna seniors guards KJ Reynald and Xavier Rodgers, the Lions would go on occasional brief runs to keep the score in the low double digits and at one point down to an eight-point deficit early in the fourth. Yet the Raiders widespread talent, which features four players that own own multiple Division I offers, all had their moments on Friday as five players scored eight or more points, led by Bowens and junior Jordan Fisher who had a 17 each.
The 69-56 win for Reynoldsburg (8-4) should give them confidence as they head towards Dayton to play Oak Ridge (FL) at Flyin’ To The Hoop on Monday. Gahanna (8-5) looks to bounce back at the Battle in the 614 as they take on Lexington this Sunday.
There was a ton of future college talent, of all levels, on display Friday. Below, we highlight the top performers and honorable mentions.