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Sheridan 57, Licking Heights 55 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Cade Torbert, 01/04/20, 10:15AM EST

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Sheridan claws out an overtime victory over Licking Heights in an exciting LCL vs. MVL battle

THORNVILLE, Ohio -- The Sheridan Generals improved to 9-1 with a 57-55 come from behind win in overtime over the Licking Heights Hornets on Friday.

Both teams want their defenses to set the tempo while providing balanced scoring on the offensive end. Friday that was evident, due to both teams' aggressive and trapping defenses, this led to an up and down game.

After an early 7-0 run by Sheridan, Licking Heights clawed their way back with an 8-0 run of their own. This first quarter run from the Hornets was led by senior Markeece Brown, with a pair of transition layups and a three pointer.

After coming off the bench, Brown was on fire by scoring eight points in the first quarter giving the Hornets a spark offensively, as well as a 16-14 lead after a period of play.

The second quarter was all Licking Heights, as they continued their scrappy defensive pressure enabling a halftime lead of 29-21. The Hornets started to pull away behind a 10-0 run to start the quarter, four of which coming from senior Judah Spears. Spears made back to back moves off the dribble, one being a mid range pull up and the other a spinning layup.

Sheridan started to make up some ground in the second half by taking away Brown’s scoring, resulting in all 12 of his points coming in the first half. 

In the third quarter, Sheridan’s 6-foot-5 senior Luken Hill began to take over for the Generals. Hill was bringing the ball up the court, making crucial rebounds, as well as attacking the basket off the dribble, all of which was through the Hornets defensive pressure. His stellar play helped Sheridan make a comeback, resulting in a 42-38 Licking Heights heading into the final frame.

The fourth quarter was quite the back and forth duel and both teams continued making big plays for the remainder of the quarter. Licking Heights held their lead until Sheridan junior Nate Johnson collected a loose ball near the basket and converted just before the fourth quarter buzzer to send it to overtime.

At the start of overtime, Sheridan slowed down the Hornets fast paced attack by switching to a zone defense. The Generals then took a 55-53 lead by a crucial finish through contact by junior Landon Russell, giving the Generals their first lead since the opening quarter.

When Sheridan finally got the lead, they never looked back, pulling away for a gutsy 57-55 win at home.

Sheridan put four players in double figures, led by Nate Johnson's 14, Russell's 12, Ethan Malone's 11, and Hill's 10. Shay Taylor had 13 rebounds and Hill added 10 to lead the attack on the boards for the Generals.

Licking Heights put together a balanced performance as well, led by 12 first half points from Brown. Two other players scored in double figures, as Lionell Moses Jr. and Spears each finished with 10 points.


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Luken Hill (6’5 WF / Sheridan / 2020): The Generals big man showed his versatility on Friday. He finished the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds but that only begins to tell what all he does for his team. He plays the point on Sheridan’s half court trapping defense. His length and athleticism helped force multiple turnovers. In the fourth quarter, he displayed his handle and vision as he brought the ball up the court and broke down the defense to either get to the rim or find his teammates for open looks. After helping lead this team to the Division II state final four a year ago, Hill has clearly improved and has the Generals ready for another run to state. 

Landon Russell (6’1 G / Sheridan / 2021): Russell is a tough as nails guard that came up with big plays all night when the Generals needed it. He scored six of his 12 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. He showed the ability to post up smaller guards and get to the paint where he consistently finished through contact.

Jaivon Miller (6’1 G / Licking Heights / 2021): He is the floor leader for the Hornets and is a long guard that is very active for the Hornets run and jump defense. Miller led the Hornets with six steals, three blocks and was able to fill the stat sheet by doing a little bit of everything in the Hornets' near upset. After moving in from Hamilton Township, Miller has clearly helped this Hornets team in a rebuilding year. 

Markeece Brown (6’2 G / Licking Heights / 2020): Brown showed that he can be an explosive scorer, due to the fact that he is quite the athletic guard. He led the Hornets in scoring with 12 points, all in the first half and was able to display his range by opening his scoring with a three pointer. He also has the ability to create his own shot and was very good early in the game off the bounce. Brown has a pair of offers from Division II Concord in West Virginia and Division I junior college Colby in Kansas, as programs clearly see the potential that the 6-foot-2 senior has. 

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