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Undisputed: Harvest Prep's big fourth quarter too much for Wellington

By Zach Fleer, 01/20/18, 10:45PM EST

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Harvest Prep improved to 11-0 with a statement win at Wellington on Saturday

UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio -- In a heavyweight title bout between two powers in Division III, No. 1 (D3) Harvest Prep vs. No. 3 (D3) Wellington lived up to its billing.

Using a 22-12 fourth quarter, Harvest Prep (11-0, 6-0) stayed perfect in a 79-73 victory over Wellington (9-4, 5-2) in front of a standing room only crowd.

In a back gym brawl between two programs that have won the last four regional titles in Division IV, Harvest Prep had the upper hand early on. A hot start from junior guard Soul Hines helped the Warriors establish a 19-15 lead after a quarter of play.

The second quarter was a thriller. With 48 combined points between the teams, Wellington began to pick up momentum behind the play of sophomore reserve guard Connor Herrick. Herrick knocked down two NBA range threes that helped the Jags tie things at 29 midway through the quarter.

Exchanging buckets for the rest of the quarter, Harvest Prep went into halftime with a 42-40 lead. Senior forward CJ Penha, a Taylor recruit, led all scorers with 16 points. Penha's aggressive play around the rim put Wellington into worrisome foul trouble in the first half. 

Coming out of halftime strapped from the perimeter, Harvest Prep senior guard Sean Peterson knocked down back-to-back triples to open the second half, as the Warriors built a 48-42 advantage through two minutes.

Wellington did not back down, however. An absolutely filthy poster tip slam from Wellington senior forward Noah Berry sparked a 13-2 run from the Jags over the next three minutes to take a five-point lead at 55-50.

In an entertaining end to the quarter, Wellington held off a late charge from Harvest Prep, going into the fourth quarter with a 61-57 lead. Berry managed to play the entire third quarter with three fouls, as the presence of the 6-foot-8 post gave Wellington a major advantage on the glass and interior.

In a matchup of two senior towers who refused to lose, Berry and Penha's one-on-one battle came to a heed as Berry took Penha to the basket for a strong bucket and ensuing stare down, which put Wellington up 65-57 with 6:50 to go.

However, Berry quickly picked up his fourth foul moments later. Leaving the senior post in the game, Wellington bit the bullet, as Berry fouled out with five minutes to go. Holding on to a 67-63 lead, Wellington would have to weather the storm missing Berry and its leading scorer and primary ball handler, junior guard Dallas Patrick, who fouled out with 4:10 to go.

From the moment Patrick left the game, Harvest Prep made its run. A three from Hines and two free throws from sophomore guard CJ Anthony made up a 5-0 run for the Warriors, as Harvest Prep took a 68-67 lead with 3:45 remaining.

From that point forward, Wellington never led again. Tying the contest at 69 with 3:14 to go, Wellington allowed another scoring spree from Hines and Anthony, who combined for five quick points once again to give the Warriors a 74-71 lead with 1:20 remaining.

After Wellington cut the lead to a single point following two free throws from senior wing Solomon Pierre-Louis, Anthony answered with his second-straight And-1 finish, converting at the line to give Harvest Prep a 77-73 lead with 27 ticks on the clock.

On the following Wellington possession, the Jags could not convert from the field, as Harvest Prep escaped with a 79-73 victory.

While his jump shot was not falling on Saturday, Anthony, who is as physical a sophomore guard as you'll find anywhere in the state, made his impact in other ways. Getting to the rim and finishing through contact, Anthony's fourth quarter performance proved to be the difference, as his eight points in the Warriors' final run closed the game.

Penha led all scorers with 23 points. An acrobatic finisher at 6-foot-6, Penha has greatly improved athletically, as his physical play underneath played a key role in Wellington's major foul trouble. Penha added a game-high 10 rebounds, often cleaning up the defensive glass and limiting second-chance points from the Jags.

Hines added 18 points, knocking down some key shots, many of which highly contested, to provide key secondary scoring for Harvest Prep. Hines has great length at 6-foot-4 and has been a key contributor for the Warriors in an impressive 11-0 start to the season.

Knocking down five triples, Peterson was often the outlet valve for the Warriors, as Anthony and others found the 6-foot-3 guard open along the perimeter. Scoring 15 points, Peterson gave Harvest Prep great minutes on each end of the floor before fouling out late in the fourth quarter.

Anthony added 13 points, nine of which from the free-throw line. Handling pressure at a high level, Anthony took advantage of mismatches in the fourth quarter after Patrick fouled out to bring the win home for Harvest Prep. The 6-foot guard added six rebounds and five assists, playing a complete game despite his shooting woes.

For Wellington, Pierre-Louis led all scorers with 21 points, stepping up greatly in the second half to help the Jags take a lead into the fourth quarter. Pierre-Louis, an Air Force signee, has great length and gives Wellington much needed versatility on both ends of the floor. 

Patrick added 13 points, 11 of which in the first half. The Jags' leading scorer heading into the game, Patrick was the calming force for many stretches on Saturday, as Wellington greatly missed him after fouling out on what was a more than questionable charge call for his fifth foul.

Senior guard Bob Faller played an excellent game, finishing with 13 points, four rebounds and four assists. Hitting big shots all night to give Wellington life, Faller showed another layer to his game that makes the 6-foot-4 senior all that more intriguing.

Faller's twin brother, senior John Faller, was steady all night for Wellington, finishing with 12 points and nine rebounds.

The key cog in the middle, Berry was Wellington's most valuable player when he was on the floor, finishing with eight points, nine rebounds and three assists. Able to impose his will on the glass and with his great length at 6-foot-8, Berry's contributions were missed after he exited the game. 

Dropping a tough game at home where it led by eight points in the fourth quarter, the road does not get easier for Wellington. The Jags host undefeated No. 2 (D3) Bishop Ready on Tuesday, who comes into that game 12-0 and ranked No. 1 in the state according to the Associated Press.

Harvest Prep moves on to a home matchup vs. Millersport before taking on No. 1 (D4) Fisher Catholic on the road on Thursday.

If Harvest Prep wasn't already loaded at 11-0, the Warriors will welcome a slew of transfers who could make them much more dangerous. Look for 6-foot-5 senior Isaiah Cumberland, who comes in from Gahanna, to give Harvest Prep another dimension on both ends of the floor that will make this team a major state title threat in March.

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