PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- Pickerington Central (7-3) and Westerville South (7-4) squared off on Tuesday in a day packed with top-10 matchups around the area, and this #7 vs. #8 duel lived up to its billing. Despite the game starting incredibly slow, with Westerville South holding a 7-4 lead after one quarter, the scoring ramped up as the game went on and with the help of some clutch free-throw shooting by senior Conner Maciag, Pickerington Central was able to hold on for a 55-48 home victory. 

While the Tigers trailed early, failing to find any sort of offensive rhythm until near the end of the first half, their veteran playmakers were able to push them to a lead by halftime. After a back-and-forth third quarter, Pickerington Central was able to string together baskets by senior Tahleik Walker and junior Garner Wallace to hold a 34-29 lead going into the fourth quarter. Timely shooting by Maciag, who scored nine fourth-quarter points on a three and six free throws, allowed the Tigers to lead for the entirety of the final period and ultimately to a 55-48 win. 

Walker led all scorers with 18 points, and Maciag was just behind him with 15 points that included three made threes. Wallace finished with 12 points.

Westerville South put together an all-around team effort to contend with Pickerington Central on their home court, and drew within a single score very late in the game after bucket-for-bucket third quarter, but ultimately were not able to make up enough ground due to the Tiger’s late free-throw shooting success. Junior Jaiden Guice finished with a team-high 13 points that included three three-pointers. Senior Stephon Saint-Cyr added 11 points, junior Tabari Howard had nine, and sophomore Drey Carter chipped in seven points.

Tahleik Walker (6’2 CG / Pickerington Central / 2020): Walker is the glue that holds the Pickerington Central team together, constantly hustling and scrapping his way to positive plays on both ends. The 6-2 guard is a high-level perimeter defender and has the quickness and hands to disrupt offensive players on the ball and by jumping passing lanes. While Walker does not hunt buckets on the offensive end, he is ready and able to create his own shot off the dribble can finish at a high rate around the rim and in the mid-range. Walker out-ran Westerville South in the fast break and chased down offensive rebounds leading to second chance points, scoring a game-high 18 points primarily due to his effort on both ends. The senior has been a steady contributor and playmaker on this Pickerington Central team for the last three seasons and the level of production showed on Tuesday highlights his growth as an offensive threat.

Jaiden Guice (6’0 G / Westerville South / 2021): Guice was a timely and confident shot maker for Westerville South down the stretch of the game and showed an ability to find open space on all three levels to create space for himself. The 6-0 guard is not physically overpowering nor is he a ball-dominant player, but Guice is able to pick his spots and affect the game with his consistent shooting ability. The junior knocked down three three-pointers throughout the game on Tuesday and was a big reason why the Wildcats were able to draw within two points late in the contest. Guice is an important piece on a Westerville South team full of smart role players and will be looked to as a primary offensive option due to his shooting ability down the stretch.

Conner Maciag (6’2 CG / Pickerington Central / 2020): Maciag showcased his high-level shooting ability in some key moments over the course of the game that sparked the Pickerington Central attack. The senior is a versatile guard with the ability to play both on the ball and out of a spot-up role, and has a physicality that allows him to maneuver through the opposition for positioning and hard-fought rebounds. Maciag is a crafty ball-handler and passer that sets the table for his teammates and has a great feel for the time and temperature of the game and when to force the issue. Maciag not only hit three threes on Tuesday, but he also closed out the game making six straight free-throws on one-and-ones in the final minutes and displayed his veteran leadership in doing so.

Stephon Saint-Cyr (6’1 WF / Westerville South / 2020): The tough senior wing plays with major intensity and has some intriguing dribble-drive skills that allowed him to get to the basket countless times against a very athletic Pickerington Central defense. Saint-Cyr has a long frame and a confident handle that allows him to bound past defenders and into the lane, where he is then able to get his shot off above and around the defenders with crafty finishes. The senior wing also knocked down a timely pull-up three late in regulation to make it a one-possession game and will have to be a consistent shot maker for this Westerville South team if they want to bounce back.

Garner Wallace (6’5 WF / Pickerington Central / 2021): Wallace has proven himself to be a source of reliable and efficient offense for the Tigers over the course of the last two years, and was exactly that for his Pickerington Central team in a game where they greatly needed it. The gifted junior has a long, strong frame and at 6-5 is able to impose his will in the lane against nearly anyone who attempts to contest him in the lane. Wallace scored many of his points either in isolation when he was single-manned in the paint or off of second chance points and is one of the key cogs in the Tiger attack even when it is not his night to man the brunt of the shot-taking load. However, he has the ability to take over games if the opposition fails to match his physicality and will look to continue to punish defenders down the stretch of the season.

Drey Carter (6’5 WF / Westerville South / 2022): Carter is an intriguing perimeter-oriented wing who possesses enough length and confidence from outside to get his shot up over nearly any defender. The sophomore is not afraid of the open look from outside and his early shot-making was a big reason why Westerville South was able to contend for the lead for the majority of the game. Carter has a lanky 6-5 build with room to grow and will look to increase his output and efficiency as the season goes along.