NEWARK, Ohio -- Sitting on the verge of 1600 wins in program history, Newark began its march to yet another district title on Thursday in the sectional semifinals against Licking Heights. Behind a big night from senior stud JT Shumate, No. 5 Newark (20-3) ran past the visiting No. 34 Hornets (11-12) in a 61-37 victory.

In the opening quarter, Newark absolutely locked down on defense, holding Licking Heights without a field goal to get out to a 16-3 lead. Despite its top three players dealing with foul trouble, Licking Heights showed great heart in the second quarter, outscoring Newark 13-10 to head into the half trailing 26-16.

Licking Heights did not get any closer than that the rest of the way, as Newark relied on a huge second half from Shumate to roll to a 61-37 win.

Shumate led all scorers with 25 points, knocking down a trio of threes after halftime. The Walsh signee did it all for the Wildcats, adding a game-high nine rebounds and eight assists. A matchup nightmare at 6-foot-6, Shumate was the straw that stirred the drink for Newark on Thursday.

Scoring 12 points in the second half, senior guard Bryson Allen-Grover had a terrific performance. Finishing with 16 points and seven rebounds, Allen-Grover rebounded at a high level and was the benefactor of several easy looks at the rim due to Newark's crisp ball movement.

A day after receiving first team All-OCC Capital honors, senior guard Antonio Watson added seven points and two steals for Newark. Junior guard Hunter Antritt, who has come on strong in the second half of the season, added six points. Despite going without a field goal, freshman guard Kade Bafford had a solid showing, finishing with six assists and two steals, while taking three charges. 

With the win, Newark advances to the sectional finals to take on No. 43 Lancaster on Friday, March 2 at 7 p.m. Former rivals in the OCC-Ohio, Newark hosts the visiting Gales with a trip to the district semifinals on the win. 

For Licking Heights, the Hornets were led by junior wing Josh Osei, who finished with a team-high 10 points, in addition to seven rebounds and four steals. Struggling to establish a consistent offensive rhythm, Licking Heights could not overcome the big deficit that was created in the first quarter.

Senior wing Matt Dugue scored all seven of his points after halftime, while junior guard Jacob Righter added six points and three steals. Freshman sensation Tyrese Hughey added five points and two rebounds, showing a few flashes of the high-level upside that he possesses. 

Coming into the tournament at 11-11, Licking Heights falls under .500 but returns a large chunk of Thursday's rotation players.