GROVE CITY, Ohio – Yes, you read that correctly. Brock Waits poured in 41 points on Tuesday while going 7 for 11 from three-point range in a big win for the Greyhounds.

The 6-foot junior guard carried his team early on throughout a tight contest before he received help from teammates Cole Crager and Alex Coffey, which ultimately helped Grove City (4-2) pull away in an 85-72 victory over Groveport (2-3).

Groveport found production from four different players who all scored in double figures. Led by 6-foot-2 junior Scotty Lomax with 26 points, the Cruisers struggled with consistency tonight. Streaky shooting hurt their comeback efforts throughout the second half as they made many pushes but never could get over the hump.

Tuesday’s game started with Waits making his first seven shots and giving Grove City a small lead early on. The Greyhounds held a five to ten-point lead for most of the game. Groveport made a handful of runs and cut the Grove City lead down to as much as just two points late in the third quarter, but that was as close as they’d get.

To go along with Waits’ monstrous stat line, the 6-foot-2 senior forward Crager contributed a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds while the 6-foot-1 junior guard Coffey added seven points and five rebounds. These two brought lots of energy that was crucial in helping Grove City come away with the win.

The rest of the Cruisers successful foursome was comprised of their guards, sophomore Abubakar Diallo, junior Elyjah Aekins, and senior Tymire Jones. Diallo finished with 17 points and three steals. Aekins scored 12 points while dishing out five assists and getting four steals. For Jones, he had 10 points, three rebounds, and three assists.

Grove City, now sitting at 4-2, will face a tough test on Friday as they travel to Gahanna.

The Cruisers are now 2-3 on the season after losing their last three. They will look to get back to playing winning basketball this Friday as they play at New Albany.

Brock Waits (6’0 G / Grove City / 2021): Waits put on a clinic tonight, knocking down seven threes and going 8 for 8 from the charity stripe. The 6-foot guard is a capable scorer from every spot on the floor and unlike most scorers in today’s game, he can thrive working off the ball. Waits excelled in coming off screens and moving without the ball in order to get himself great scoring chances. With the ball in his hands, he showed off his long range and ability to get to the rim while finishing strong through all sorts of contact. Waits started seeing double teams in the second and third quarters to simply get the ball out of his hands, but he didn’t let that stop him as he scored 15 in the final quarter. We were very impressed with the toughness and consistency Waits showed all night long.

Scotty Lomax (6’2 G / Groveport / 2021): Shooters never stop shooting. Lomax is an athletic guard with length who brings great intensity to the game. He struggled a bit from deep tonight, but never lost confidence and still was able to make six threes which helped him contribute 26 points in total. Lomax is a capable ball handler with great touch from the mid-range. He has nice vision and made a few great extra passes which led to points for his team. In addition to his offensive talent the guard is incredibly athletic and just naturally a basketball player.
 
Cole Crager (6’2 F / Grove City / 2020): Crager is a great glue guy for the Greyhounds. He brought the most energy, toughness, and resilience to the gym tonight. During the third quarter push Groveport went on, Crager led the charge in stopping the push and building up Grove City’s lead. The 6-foot-2 forward is a powerful force when driving to the basket but was able to put on display his nice touch around the rim. He is capable of knocking down an open three as well which stretches the defense out. While Waits’ abilities are obviously important to this squad, Crager’s hustle and grit might very well be just as important for the success of this team going forward.
 
Abubakar Diallo (5’9 G / Groveport / 2022): The sophomore guard scored 17 points tonight while hitting five threes and getting three steals for the Cruisers. Diallo has a quick release and impressive range which allowed for him to hit contested shots all night. When picking up the pressure late in the game, Diallo was able to come away with three steals. Diallo and all the Groveport guards showed their ability to play the passing lanes and get a hand on the ball when guarding it. The young man put an impressive performance together and we’re looking forward to seeing his game develop.