GAHANNA, Ohio -- When Bexley took its first lead of the game at 16-15 midway through the second quarter against Columbus Academy, the host Vikings did not take too kindly to that. Responding with a 16-0 run in the final four minutes of the first half, Columbus Academy (8-0, 3-0) rode that momentum in a grind-it-out 53-46 win over Bexley (6-4, 0-3) on Thursday. 

Locking down on the defensive end and moving the ball around for easy looks on the interior, Columbus Academy went into halftime with a commanding 31-16 advantage.

In a third quarter in which Bexley was able to trim the lead to single digits, Columbus Academy found itself on the ropes against a tough Lions team catching fire from beyond the arc. 

Opening the fourth quarter on a 9-2 run through the first 5:42 of the period, Bexley trimmed the Viking lead to 42-41 with 1:50 remaining.

However, Columbus Academy would go on a run of its own in response, as transition scores from Ryan Mitchell and Addis Boyd, the latter resulting in a three-point play, put the Vikings ahead 47-41 with 1:02 to go.

Bexley would get no closer than five points in the final minute, falling 53-46 to drop its third-straight game in league play. Columbus Academy remains unbeaten and registers its first ranked win of the season according to the 270 Hoops Power Rankings.

Showing signs of an expanded offensive arsenal, junior forward Chris Boyle got off to a hot start for Columbus Academy. Hitting his first four shots of the game, Boyle was perfect on three attempts from deep, adding 11 points in the first half. Finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds, Boyle did everything on both ends of the floor for the Vikings, as the 6-foot-5 forward has been very impressive in our last two viewings of him.

The senior Boyd added a game-high 17 points, in addition to seven rebounds and three assists. A tough wing guard who can score through contact inside, Boyd gives Columbus Academy a gritty presence out on the perimeter. Mitchell added nine points for the Vikings, while junior point guard Dorrian Moultrie battled early foul trouble to finish with six points.

For Bexley, three players scored 10 points each for the Lions. Senior forward Shannon Stanley was the most impressive out of all Bexley players, finishing with 10 points and five rebounds. A lengthy wing forward with solid footwork and post moves, Stanley was the Lions' lone presence on the block.

Sophomore point guard Damian Davis added 10 points and four assists, knocking down two threes. Davis is a quick twitch guard with a consistent outside jumper, but would struggle to create his own looks at times on Thursday. Junior guard Anthony Welsh also added 10 points, heating up in the second half to score all of his points in the final 16 minutes.

Junior forward Leo Schottenstein added nine points while senior guard Ryan Callahan added seven points and four assists.

With the big win, Columbus Academy moves on to take on Grandview Heights at home on Saturday. Look for Saturday's matchup to be a tough one for a Vikings team that heads into its biggest challenge yet.