Westerville North 71, Olentangy Orange 52
The Warriors deliver a dominating statement win behind Elijah McCree's 30 points
Written by 270 Hoops staff writer Greg Glasser
WESTERVILLE, OH — Tuesday night featured a marquee match-up between last year’s state title teams; Olentangy Orange from Division I and host Westerville North as the reigning Division II champs.
While both teams have had various degrees of success this season, it was the Warriors — who are now 16-1 and winners of 11 straight (ten of which by double digits), that looked more poised to repeat a state title run as they handed the Pioneers a 71-52 defeat in a game that never felt close.
Orange senior guard Treyton Schroeder, a recent dual-sport commit to Ohio Dominican, scored the first bucket of the game, but it would be the only lead the Pioneers would have. North would go on a 12-2 run throughout most of the first period which was a preview of how the remaining three periods would play out.
After the Warriors took a 38-24 halftime lead, Orange appeared they had life in the second half as they opened their third period with back-to-back threes; first from Grant Miller, followed by Xavier Aguilla to cut North’s lead to eight.
Enter Westerville North senior guard Elijah McCree. With already 12 points at half, McCree went on a 12-0 run of his own that pushed the Warriors lead to 20 and essentially took away any puncher’s chance from the Pioneers for the remainder of the game.
McCree finished with 30 points, but it was also Westerville North’s domination on the glass, which they finished +18 against Orange, along with their ability to score in transition that gave the Warriors one of their signature wins in the midst of an already impressive season.
