LEWIS CENTER, Ohio -- Olentangy Orange showed off its full arsenal in a blowout win over Hilliard Darby on Monday. Exploding for 30 points in the second quarter alone, the Pioneers (4-1) showed off its inside-out game in blowing past the visiting Panthers (2-4) 67-44.

Junior wing forward Jason Foster had a bit of a breakout showing in a recent hot streak, powering down a big one hand slam, swatting a shot, pulling down offensive rebounds and knocking down a catch and shoot three in the second quarter alone.

Behind Foster's game-high 16 points, Orange overpowered Darby, leading by 28 points after three quarters. Foster, senior wing Ryan Cutler and freshman Elias Lewis each finished in double figures, combining for 40 points. 

Junior guard Andre Irvin had a solid outing, adding eight points. We liked the toughness and impact provided by junior guard John Stearns, who had a strong showing on the defensive end. Orange got good minutes from sophomore wing Joel Addo and senior forward Darius Butler, who each finished well at the rim and gave the Pioneers quality defense. 

For Darby, senior guard Parker Hambrel was the only source of consistent offense, knocking down four threes and finishing with 14 points. While the Panthers competed in the first quarter, they could not overcome the second quarter onslaught from Orange. 

Orange will look to keep winning on Friday when the Pioneers host Westerville South in a battle of father and son as Orange coach Anthony Calo will take on his dad Ed Calo.

For Darby, the Panthers will look to get back to its winning ways when Olentangy Berlin heads to town on Friday. 

Jason Foster (6'5 WF / Olentangy Orange / 2021): Foster is one of the most improved juniors that we've seen this season, as he put together an impressive and complete performance in leading Orange on Monday. The 6-foot-5 junior, who played the last two years at Northland, showed off his versatile skill set in the win. He started the game by dishing off one of his four assists, then took a charge on the other end. From that point forward, Foster began to dominate, as he knocked down a catch and shoot three from the top of the key, had a handful of strong finishes through contact inside, applied great pressure on the perimeter, coming up with two steals and threw down a powerful one hand jam basically off a vertical jump. Foster has the length, skill set and athleticism to really develop into a player on the wing, as we were really encouraged with his passing vision, ball handling ability in the open floor and perimeter defense. While Orange has the guard play and perimeter shooting to be a contender, Foster takes them to another level with his versatile playmaking ability. Foster can guard 1-5 at the high school level, can push the ball in transition, can lock down the glass, can attack the rim with physicality and is an impressive passer who made plays for others. The junior is an impressive leaper with a strong build and broad shoulders, as we wouldn't be surprised to see him stretch out another inch or two over the next year. 

Ryan Cutler (6'4 WF / Olentangy Orange / 2020): The grizzly old veteran on the Pioneers, Cutler formed a terrific one-two punch in the Orange front court with Foster. The rangy 6-foot-4 wing had a strong showing, scoring an efficient 12 points where he showed off his versatile game, knocking down two catch and shoot threes and finishing two buckets off the bounce where his length was a definite factor. Cutler is a tough wing who is one of the more underrated players in the OCC, as he can stretch the floor but can also take you off the bounce and finish with either hand at the rim. On the defensive end, Cutler can guard 3-5 at the high school level, as his length and leaping ability help him protect the rim and close out on shooters. For small colleges looking for length, versatility and shot making ability in the senior class, Cutler would be a great look, as he's a winner who knows how to play. 

Elias Lewis (6'2 WG / Olentangy Orange / 2023): A player that we saw for six weeks straight in the fall thanks to the 270 Hoops Intro and Fall League, it was nice to see Lewis get his first real taste of varsity action on Monday. The confident freshman made great use of his opportunity, knocking down four catch and shoot threes, that each caught nothing but net on the way down. The 6-foot-2 freshman is a pure scorer with a pretty looking jump shot, as Lewis gets it off in a hurry and shoots with great confidence. While he was a bit sloppy with the ball on Monday, Lewis has shown us his playmaking ability off the bounce in prior viewings, as we expect him to become more comfortable with the speed of varsity basketball with additional reps. If he can continue to provide the impact that he had on Monday, Lewis will be an important piece to this team down the stretch as he gives the Pioneers yet another impressive offensive weapon. We love young guys who play with toughness and charisma and Lewis is clearly one of those guys. This is a young name to remember in Central Ohio. 

Parker Hambrel (5'10 G / Hilliard Darby / 2020): In what was a rough night for Darby, Hambrel was a bright spot. The 5-foot-10 senior guard was a threat from the perimeter, knocking down four threes, both off movement and off the catch. Darby has a few guards in sophomores Gio Roberts, Matt Sech and junior Mehki Evans who can attack off the bounce, which makes Hambrel's job a little easier, as he was able to get several open looks on Monday. 

Andre Irvin (5'8 PG / Olentangy Orange / 2021): While we've known about Irvin and his offensive ability for the last five years or so, we were most impressed with his defense on Monday. The junior applied great pressure on the ball, forcing two steals and a jump ball in transition where got back on defense and showcased quick hands to prevent an easy score. On the offensive end, Irvin made three field goals and finished with eight points, getting to the line a few times and hitting an impressive floater in the first half where he stopped on a dime and created an angle for himself to score. Due to his size, Irvin has to work extra hard on the defensive end, as he's clearly worked hard to improve in that area, causing some disruption on the ball and giving the Pioneers great energy.