WORTHINGTON, Ohio -- In the second game of Day 1 of the Stephen Gussler Invitational, Reynoldsburg used its hot three-point shooting in the first half to race past Dayton Ponitz, 79-67.

Sophomore Julian Heckman had a bit of a breakout showing, knocking down four threes in the first half to fuel a huge run for the Raiders. Reynoldsburg led 44-30 at the break and never looked back, stretching its lead to as much as 22 points in the third quarter.

Ponitz fought back in the fourth quarter, as senior guard Devon Perdue gave Reynoldsburg all they could handle with 32 points. 

For Reynoldsburg, a balanced scoring effort was the name of the game, as Heckman led all scorers with 18 points, while seniors Sean Moore and James Dean and sophomore Cooper Davis all finished in double figures. 

The Raiders will have a big test on Saturday back at Thomas Worthington when they take on Dublin Coffman at 3:30 p.m.

Julian Heckman (6’0 PG / Reynoldsburg / 2022): The sophomore Heckman instantly impacted Friday’s matchup vs. Ponitz, knocking down four catch and shoot triples, showing excellent range and shooting touch. Heckman was a sniper from the corner, hitting three of his four triples from that location. On the offensive end, Heckman is a talented ball handler with great dribble drive ability, as he makes crisp reads and rarely turns it over. The sophomore is a talented finisher when he gets to the rim, as he can create separation and finish against contact. Playing big minutes for a young team that needs everything he can give them, Heckman shows great promise and will be a major piece to this program if he continues to shoot it like he did on Friday.

Sean Moore (6’4 WG / Reynoldsburg / 2020): One of the better athletes in the senior class, Moore put his length and athleticism to use against Ponitz. The 6-foot-4 senior attacked the rim for a few impressive scores, hit a catch and shoot three in the first half and converted a tough floater in the lane. Moore has clearly matured since last year, as he’s more efficient, unselfish and is beginning to impact the game on both ends of the floor. The senior has an intriguing frame, has gotten stronger and has improved as a jump shooter. We liked the way that Moore defended on the perimeter, as he is a great point of attack defender that can disrupt a game with his length. Moore is an instant impact guy at the Division III level, as he provides the athleticism and versatility that will make him very effective at the next level. 

Devon Perdue (5'9 PG / Dayton Ponitz / 2020): Rarely do we write about out of town players since we exclusively cover Central Ohio teams, however, Perdue deserves it after the performance he put on against Reynoldsburg. The senior guard was a relentless scorer, going for 32 points to keep his team within striking distance in the first half. Perdue got to the rim at will, finishing above length despite his size, was a knockdown shooter off the bounce, both from the mid-range and three and even created opportunities with a handful of steals which led to transition buckets. On a young Ponitz team without a ton of scoring, Perdue is a guy to keep an eye on in the Dayton area.