COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The area's oldest athletic conference tipped off league play on Tuesday night as 16 teams in the Columbus City League met on the hardwood for another exciting season of hoops.

Starting this year is the weekly City League Report, which you can only find on 270 Hoops. We will bring you the top matchups, players and results from each week in the City.

Let's take a look at Tuesday's results.

In the game of the night in the South Division, No. 2 (D2) Eastmoor Academy took its show on the road to regional rival No. 7 (D2) Independence. After more than a week off, Eastmoor (1-1, 1-0) showed no signs of rust, dispatching Independence (3-2, 0-1) in convincing fashion, 81-47.

Leading 34-25 at the half, Eastmoor would outscore the host 76ers 47-22 in a dominating second half that busted the game open. Four Eastmoor players finished in double digits, led by senior guard Taevion Kinsey, who finished with a game-high 15 points.

Independence was led by junior forward Benjamin James, who had a team-high 11 points. 

Despite trailing by as much as 12 points in the third quarter, No. 3 (D2) South used an 18-2 run to end the period to roll to a 77-67 win on the road at Walnut Ridge. 

South (3-0, 1-0) remained unbeaten behind a monster performance from junior guard Tre Watkins, who finished with 29 points. Watkins' backcourt partners in Naiquan Galloway and Jaedyn Carter were productive, combining for 20 points.

For Walnut Ridge (0-4, 0-1), the Scots drop its fourth straight game in which it led in the second half. Sophomore forward Von Cameron Davis led the Scots with 21 points, while senior guard Rohshawn Reaves, who has had a breakout season so far, added 18 points. 

In a home matchup against Marion-Franklin (0-3, 0-1), No. 2 (D3) Africentric (3-0, 1-0) remained unbeaten in a dominant 89-53 win. 

For the fourth straight game, the Nubians received balanced offensive production, as senior forward Jah Bennett led all scorers with 25 points. Junior wing Anthony Bowman added 16 points for Africentric, who led 46-25 at the break.

For Marion-Franklin, junior guard Tronny Keaton knocked down five threes and finished with a season-high 19 points to lead the Red Devils. 

The Battle for the Hilltop tipped off on Tuesday with Briggs (2-0, 1-0) taking down West (0-3, 0-1) once again. The Bruins, despite being shut out 18-0 in the second quarter, rallied back to take down the Cowboys in overtime, 56-48.

Leading the charge for the Bruins was senior forward Xavier Jennings, who continued a breakout stretch to the season with 27 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Quinton Johnston also had a major performance, scoring all 15 of his points in crunch time.

For West, sophomore forward Abdi Gelle led all scorers with 13 points. 

In a matchup of two teams that have been hot as of late, East (3-0, 1-0) took care of business on the road, taking down Mifflin (3-2, 0-1) 72-66.

Riding the momentum of a hot start to the season, East relied on a career-high 22 points from senior guard Mike White, who came over to the Tigers from Walnut Ridge in the offseason. Senior guard Justin Curtis, who nearly transferred to the aforementioned Scots, added 17 points for East. 

For Mifflin, senior Jamal Dorsey had another strong game, finishing with 17 points. 

Entering as the top-ranked team in Division II for the second-straight week, Beechcroft (4-0, 1-0) took care of business in a 96-61 win over Centennial (1-2, 0-1).

Putting up more than 90 points for the second time in three games, the Cougars received boat loads of offense from multiple players. Senior forward Therron Jennings set a career-high of 30 points, eclipsing his previous mark of 27 set last season. Senior guard Jelani Simmons added 22 points, while senior forward Elijah Bishop also set a career-high with 20 points.

For Centennial, senior guard Gary Elder had a team-high 18 points, while freshman wing Jaylin Gilbert added 14 points. 

Averaging just under 90 points per game, Beechcroft is absolutely rolling to start the season. With several seniors hungry for a City League championship, Beechcroft is having the type of start it anticipated.

In a season in which No. 4 (D2) Linden-McKinley (4-0, 1-0) is looking to wake the City up, the Panthers took another step in that direction in a 54-39 win over Whetstone (0-4, 0-1). 

Senior forward Faizon Tucker had one of the best games of his career, finishing with 23 points, eight rebounds and six blocks to pace the Panthers, who had no other player in double-figures. Freshman guard Chance Groce, who was fresh off a weekend visit to Dayton, added eight points for Linden. 

Whetstone was led by senior forward Lincoln Mullins, who finished with a team-high 14 points.

Off to yet another undefeated start through four games, Linden will look to make a major statement on Friday as the Panthers travel to North division bully and No. 7 (D1) Northland. 

In a game that was over before it even started, No. 7 Northland (2-0, 1-0) rolled over International (0-3, 0-1) in emphatic fashion, 101-15.

Northland was led by senior guard Jejuan Weatherspoon and junior guard N'Keeley Elmore, who each finished with 16 points.

Leading 37-0 after the first quarter and 67-4 at half, the Vikings were never challenged against a Lions team that loses its 59th North division game in a row, the worst in City League history. International has not won a league game since Feb. 4, 2014 - when it defeated Whetstone 69-51.

Northland will look to remain unbeaten on Friday at home vs. No. 4 (D2) Linden-McKinley. 

The championship picture in the City League North will get a little clearer on Friday as No. 4 (D2) Linden-McKinley brings its undefeated record on the road at No. 7 (D1) Northland. The Panthers have played Northland very close on the road the last few years, as Linden is hoping to finally make a breakthrough on Friday.

After dropping a big game at home to Eastmoor on Tuesday, No. 7 (D2) Independence is looking to prove that its 3-1 start wasn't a fluke as it hosts No. 2 (D3) Africentric on Friday. The Sixers will have to focus on stopping the Nubians' high powered offense, as Africentric has three of the top 10 scorers in the City League thus far. Without a bonafide star on the Independence roster, the Sixers will have to win by committee on Friday. 

In a battle between two teams on opposite ends of the spectrum, winless Whetstone hosts undefeated No. 1 (D2) Beechcroft on Friday. The Cougars have showed no mercy against lower competition this season and we don't expect much to change on Friday. Beechcroft has one of the better offensive attacks in the City League as its top five scorers are all in double figures and averaging 79.2 points combined through four games.

No. 2 (D2) Eastmoor is looking to stay hot in the City League South as it travels to Briggs on Tuesday. This will be the biggest challenge yet for a Bruins team that is off to a hot start at 2-0. Look for Briggs to slow the game down and take advantage of every possession against an Eastmoor team that thrives on turnovers and transition points.

Much like the Beechcroft-Whetstone matchup on the North side, undefeated No. 3 (D2) South heads to local rival Marion-Franklin on Friday. The Bulldogs are rolling right now, putting up a ton of points and causing havoc defensively. We look for South to improve to 4-0 on the road.

At least someone will no longer be winless on Friday. Walnut Ridge heads to West in a game that the Scots will be heavily favored in. At 0-4, Walnut Ridge has led in the second half of all four games, but has struggled to close out tough opponents. Look for Walnut Ridge to pick up a momentum building win on the road to finally get in the W column. 

East looks to move to 4-0 as it heads to International. The Lions have not played within 30 points of any City League opponent for most of the last three years and we don't expect much different from a Tigers team that can score the basketball. 

Two teams that suffered losses on Tuesday, Centennial heads to Mifflin for a tough road challenge. Mifflin has lost two-straight after starting off hot at 3-0. The Punchers will look to fend off a young Centennial team that refuses to quit.

Jennings had a breakout moment in the district tournament last year against St. Charles and has rode that momentum into the young season. Leading the City League with 22.5 points per game, Jennings is fifth in the area in scoring average thus far. After grinding all summer long in the gym, the results are really starting to show for Jennings.

The Youngstown State signee has been nothing short of spectacular through four games for Beechcroft. Averaging just under 22 points per game, Simmons has been the catalyst to a Cougar offense that is nearly averaging 90 points per contest. 

Breaking out as a junior last season, Baumgardner has taken his game to a completely new level through three games for the Nubians. Averaging 20 points per contest, the Minnesota State signee is the focal point of an Africentric offensive attack with plenty of weapons.

The only non-senior in the top five in scoring, Davis has not had any sort of sophomore slump after being named first team All-City League as a freshman, a feat nobody had accomplished since Jared Sullinger in 2007. Davis is averaging 20 points per game for a Walnut Ridge team that may be 0-4, but has played good basketball for the majority of those games. 

Jennings soared into the top five after a career-high 30 points in the win over Centennial on Tuesday. Much like his twin brother Teon Jennings, Therron Jennings is a multi-talented wing that can score from all over, as well as rebound and defend multiple positions. The Jennings brothers are the most important duo on this Beechcroft team, as they are both versatile players who can score and defend on all three levels.

N'Keeley Elmore (5'9 PG, Northland, 2019) - 18 PPG

Jejuan Weatherspoon (6'3 SG, Northland, 2018) - 17.5 PPG

Jah Bennett (6'7 PF, Africentric, 2018) - 17.3 PPG

Mike White (6'3 SG, East, 2018) - 17 PPG

Cali Davis (6'2 SG, Africentric, 2020) - 16.3 PPG

In a freshman class that is pretty strong across the board, injuries have taken a tole on some of the top prospects. Northland's duo of talented freshmen Makhale Massey and Jason Foster are both out for the season, while Africentric freshman AJ Glover has been recovering from an injury suffered in the preseason.

However, that hasn't stopped a trio of freshman from making an impact thus far in the City League.

Starting with Linden's Chance Groce. A prospect who made a rise before the season in the 270 Hoops Fall League, Groce is a talented 6-foot-4 wing guard oozing with potential. With recent visits to Ohio State and Dayton, Groce will visit Xavier this weekend. Through four games for the undefeated Panthers, Groce is averaging 10.5 points per game, including a season-high 15 points in a win over Dayton Chaminade Julienne.

Centennial has a talented freshman wing prospect on its hands in the 6-foot-5 Jaylin Gilbert. Averaging 10.7 points per game thus far, Gilbert has made a smooth transition to varsity ball, posting a season-high 14 points on Tuesday vs. Beechcroft. With great length and athleticism, Gilbert is a two-sport stud, as he starred on the gridiron at the quarterback position for Centennial last fall.

The final freshman receiving quality minutes at the varsity level is Walnut Ridge guard Daaron Brown. While Brown hasn't scored at the level of Groce or Gilbert, he has shown an ability to handle the ball against pressure without making mistakes. A willing defender who really competes, Brown has great composure and is going to become a quality guard as he continues to develop.