GAHANNA, Ohio -- Basketball is a beautiful game when all five players on a team act as a fist with all players coming together for one goal.

Gahanna (10-0) is playing that style of basketball right now, as the Lions became the first team in Ohio to win 10 games this season, using physical perimeter defense, aggressive offensive rebounding and crisp ball movement to race past Lancaster (3-7), 74-49.

While Lancaster fought tooth and nail for the first six minutes, Gahanna's aggression on the offensive glass and its pesky on-ball defense proved to be too much, as the Lions erased an early 9-8 deficit and led 23-17 after a quarter of play.

The Lions were just getting started, as juniors Jarius Jones and Maceo Williams set the tone with their effort on the glass, combining for nine offensive rebounds and 12 second chance points in the first half alone. Behind that and the perimeter defense of sophomore Sean Jones and senior Nate Staib, Gahanna used a 22-10 second quarter to take a 45-27 lead into halftime.

In the second half, it was much of the same as a big one-hand jam in transition from Williams capped off a 6-0 run from Gahanna to begin the third quarter. Leading 63-38 after three, it was smooth sailing the rest of the way, as Gahanna's bench mob played the last six minutes of Thursday's game in a 10th-straight win for the Lions.

Three players scored in double figures for Gahanna on Thursday, led by 18 points from Williams and 11 points from Jones. The junior duo provided great toughness and rebounding, helping Gahanna establish its early lead that it never relinquished.

Sean Jones added 13 points in an efficient showing, as the sophomore provided his usual stout perimeter defense and knocked down four jump shots from all over the floor. Five other players scored at least five points, as Gahanna moved the ball and found easy looks all night long.

Gahanna will look to improve to 11-0 on Saturday when it takes on Linden-McKinley at The Challenge at Pickerington North at 2:45 p.m.

For Lancaster, senior Jacob Davenport led all scorers with 14 points while sophomore Sam Finck added 11 points. 

The Gales will look to get back to its winning ways on Saturday when they host struggling Philo. 

Maceo Williams (6'6 PF / Gahanna / 2021): Thursday was a breakout showing for Williams, as he put his entire game on display in an 18-point showing. The 6-foot-6 junior was a man on the boards, getting his hands on every missed shot in his area, coming up with five offensive rebounds which resulted in 10 second chance points. Any time Williams got a paint touch, he converted, showing off high-level efficiency, touch and finishing ability around the basket. Williams has a strong back to the basket game, going over his right shoulder for an impressive hook shot in the first half. We even got to see him show off his athleticism on a leak out dunk in transition where Williams threw it down with authority. With the transfer of Josh Whiteside to St. Charles last summer, that allowed more opportunity for Williams to become the go-to guy in the post for Gahanna and he hasn't looked back, playing high level team basketball and dominating his role on this team. 

Sean Jones (5'11 PG / Gahanna / 2022): One thing that we really love about Jones is that he isn't concerned about only scoring buckets and putting up points like most young guards. And even if he was, we would understand because Jones is arguably the most talented guard in the area. Despite that, the 5-foot-11 sophomore plays with a purpose and feel that is well beyond his years, as he provides his biggest impact with his perimeter defense where he's a game wrecking on-ball defender. Jones and Staib proved to be fatal to Lancaster's ball handlers, as the pair forced a handful of turnovers that resulted in transition buckets for the Lions. The sophomore is an elite level ball handler, passer and lead guard, as he directs traffic, can control tempo and knows how to play with differing speeds, which helps him keep opposing defenders off balance. The biggest improvement Jones has made to his game is his jump shooting, as he knocked down four shots on Thursday, hitting three from the mid-range off the bounce and a catch and shoot triple from the right wing. Jones has a compact form and release, which has helped him become a more consistent shooter, opening up his entire offensive game, as he has the first step, vision and understanding of the game to make the correct decisions any time he gets into the paint. We haven't come across many young players who have the IQ and toughness that Jones does. Make no mistake, Gahanna is 10-0 due to Jones' leadership and the impact that he's had on his teammates, both young and old. Again, this doesn't happen often with underclassmen but as the kids say, Jones is 'different.' 

Jarius Jones (6'5 WG / Gahanna / 2021): We love the way Jones has been playing lately, as he has given Gahanna a huge presence with his length, athleticism and versatility. While Jones had already established himself as one of the area's rangiest defenders, the junior has become a major threat on the glass, as he is attacking the boards as hard as any wing we've seen all year. That impact on the boards proved to be highly important on Thursday, as his four offensive rebounds in the first half helped Gahanna get out to an early lead. Jones is still developing his overall offensive game, however, we were impressed with his finishing ability around the rim, as he was able to convert in traffic all night long. Jones was effective in the high post against Lancaster's zone, making correct reads to get the ball inside and even knocked down a catch and shoot mid-range jumper. As Jones continues to evolve his offensive game and add weight to an intriguing frame that he's still filling into, we think the junior will develop into one of the better two-way wings in the area. 

Jacob Davenport (6'3 WF / Lancaster / 2020): A player that we have yet to see prior to Thursday, Davenport was by far Lancaster's top player and prospect. The 6-foot-3 senior forward was tough all game long, providing the Gales with some scoring ability off the bounce and stout interior defense against Gahanna's bigs. Davenport communicated on the back side of Lancaster's 2-3 zone defense all night, helping direct his teammates into the right spots and keeping the ball out of the paint for the most part. On the offensive end, Davenport showed a strong ability to finish, converting through contact three times and even going coast to coast for a tough score in the first half. We even got to see the senior stretch the floor on a long catch and shoot two. On a Lancaster team that really struggled with Gahanna's quickness and physicality, Davenport was the exception, as he didn't back down from anyone on the Lions roster and looked like someone who belonged on the floor on Thursday. 

Nate Staib (5'10 PG / Gahanna / 2020): When teams have guys like Staib on their side, more than likely they're going to win. The 5-foot-10 senior guard has been outstanding all season long on the defensive end of the floor, as he is one of the best point of attack defenders that you will find in the area. Staib was back on his A-game on Thursday, as he gave Lancaster's ball handlers fits all game long, picking up full court, defending with great physicality and forcing a handful of turnovers. While Staib isn't the greatest scorer, he doesn't let that affect his overall game, as he is a near elite defensive player who when paired with Sean Jones, gives Gahanna the best perimeter defending backcourt in the area. Staib plays with elite toughness and energy, helps Gahanna keep the ball moving offensively and scores when he needs to, as he knocked down a catch and shoot three and had an offensive rebound putback on Thursday. The senior Staib is a sure fire Division III prospect who can provide instant impact with his defense and toughness.