Westerville Central 58, Gahanna Lincoln 54 - Prospect Scouting Report

Westerville Central picks up win number seven of the season, jumps into second place in the Ohio Capital Conference

Westerville Central (7-3, 2-1 OCC-Capital) bounced back from a tough road loss to undefeated Olentangy Orange last Saturday and handsedGahanna Lincoln (7-3, 2-1 OCC-Capital) their first loss of the new year. in league play 

Everything about Westerville Central’s win Friday night at Gahanna was heated. From the overheated gym that had fans sweating like they put in some minutes off the bench, to the heated head coaches barking at officials all night, to the heated ending to the game where a questionable push-off call robbed the Lions of a game-tying possession, it’s safe to say the vibes in the gym were running hot all night. 

After a nearly-hour delay due to the JV game going into double overtime (where Gahanna won), the Lions came out firing in the first quarter. After going on a 7-0 run led by guard duo Xavier Rodgers and Nasir Turner, senior sixth man Jonathan Whiteside ended the quarter with a punishing dunk followed by a smooth three-pointer to put the Lions up four. 

However, the Warhawks managed to flip the script in the second quarter, holding the Lions to only three field goals and scoring 16 second-quarter points. Following a rough defensive quarter from the Warhawks, coach Kevin Martin had his boys playing complete team defense in the second quarter. Gahanna, who typically has four guards and a forward on the court, decided to go big, having 6’6 senior Jonathan Whiteside and 6’7 senior Elijah King on the floor simultaneously. Unlike the first quarter, Central’s guards, notably Dallas Tucker and Devin Martin, did an excellent job forcing Gahanna into long sets, rarely giving the Lions fast-break opportunities they made a living off of in the first quarter. Offensively for the Warhawks, the trio of Dallas Tucker, Devin Martin, and 6’4 junior Josh Henderson combined for 21 out of Central’s 28 first-half points, with Henderson leading all-scorers with ten at the half. 

The third quarter is when things started to get dicey. The Lions dominated most of the quarter, controlling the offensive glass and getting most of their points from second-chance opportunities. After an incredible James Harden-esque step-back-iso three from Central’s Josh Henderson, officials handed out the first technical foul of the game to Henderson, who had some choice words for Lions defenders after the highlight play. Warhawk head coach Kevin Martin almost got ejected while defending his player, garnering “T HIM UP” chants from the home faithful. The debacle was the turning point for the Lions, resulting in Gahanna tying the game briefly before ultimately ending the quarter down three. 

With the momentum all on Gahannas's side entering the fourth quarter, it was apparent that a classic finish was in the cards. After a back-and-forth brawl all quarter with multiple lead changes, it came down to one final possession for the Lions to tie or take the lead with a three-ball with 15 seconds left. After setting up a high-ball screen as they did so many times throughout the game, senior Lions guard Kevin Reynald got tied up with Central’s Devin Martin, resulting in a highly questionable offensive foul call against Reynald, who subsequently picked up a technical foul after the play leading to Devin Martin hitting free throws to close the game. Following the controversial ending, Gahanna’s head coach, Tony Staib, was furious and let the officials know. He made it clear he was not done when the horn sounded, as he barked at the officials into the locker room as he was understandably frustrated after losing such a big game in that way. 

Despite the controversial ending, these teams are both very evenly matched and are teams to keep an eye on as the season progresses. 

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