NEW ALBANY, Ohio -- Reynoldsburg was without standout senior Sean Moore tonight, but that didn’t stop them from coming into New Albany and earning a strong team victory. 

The Raiders (6-5) defeated New Albany (9-3) tonight by a final of 53-42 through great performances from junior Zaveon Croff and sophomore Cooper Davis. Reynoldsburg found that impressive win that should catapult them with momentum into the rest of their schedule.

The Raiders were impressive on the offensive end all night. They were patient and executed almost every possession to get themselves the shot selection they wanted. It was a joy to watch them utilize good screens, footwork, passing, and cutting, all things that can sometimes seem lost in today’s game. 

After jumping ahead six points by the end of the first quarter, Reynoldsburg never saw their lead fall below that number. Their lead sat around 13 for almost two quarters before New Albany started to make a run, but by then it was too late. The Eagles cut the lead to nine at one point, but never saw themselves closer than that.

Croff finished the game with 16 points and four rebounds for Reynoldsburg while Davis, a 6-foot-4 wing, went for 12 points and two assists. The duo was excellent for the Raiders from start to finish. 

The Raiders also got great performances out of sophomore Julian Heckman and senior Nick Wallace. The two guards both scored eight points and provided crucial energy and playmaking abilities. 

6-foot-1 guard Jayden Lewis was nothing short of great for New Albany in the loss. The senior finished with 20 points and five rebounds. He was the reason the Eagles didn’t let Reynoldsburg turn this into a blowout. Lewis was finishing at the rim, grabbing all the 50/50 balls, and making hustle plays all night which really makes us appreciate his game. 

Now back to above .500, Reynoldsburg will take the court next when they travel to Lancaster on Friday and attempt to extend their winning streak to three games.  

New Albany will look to get back to playing winning basketball this weekend when they host Franklin Heights before facing a tough Thomas Worthington squad on a back-to-back.

Zaveon Croff (6’1 WG / Reynoldsburg / 2021): Mr. Croff had himself a game tonight, going for 16 points and four rebounds. The 6-foot-1 wing has a good build which allows him to be very strong with the ball and finish through contact. He did just that tonight, scoring almost all of his 16 in the paint. He showed good instincts on defense by getting into the passing lanes and guarding the ball well. With the absence of Sean Moore tonight, someone needed to step up for the Raiders and as an upperclassman Croff was confident and played a great game.

Jayden Lewis (6’1 G / New Albany / 2020): We absolutely loved the performance Lewis put together tonight. Despite not capitalizing on any of his three-point attempts, Lewis was scoring efficiently from inside of 15-feet in a variety of ways. It is not just his offensive showing we loved though, as Lewis played with the most energy of anyone on the floor tonight. The senior stepped up big for the Eagles and was doing many things that don’t translate into the scorebook. Whether it was boxing out and fighting on the glass or hustling for loose balls, we saw some of it all from Lewis. He is a nice athlete with a good handle and feel for the game, so we expect the senior to have a great remainder of the season, especially if he brings the same energy to the floor every game as he did tonight. 

Cooper Davis (6’4 WG / Reynoldsburg / 2022): Davis is a great shooter from deep who provides size and length to his squad. And only being a sophomore, we were very impressed with his game tonight. He has put up some nice numbers already this year and we will look for that to continue throughout the year as he is a capable scorer from all over the floor. Davis has a nice stroke and we were impressed by the different ways he was able to create space and knock down shots, from coming off pindown screens, flares, catch and shoots, and off the dribble. Davis is a player we are excited to see get better and better as the season and his career goes on. 

Justin Perry (6'5 WF / New Albany / 2022): Perry is an all-around solid prospect to take a look at. Also only a sophomore, Perry showed some maturity in his moves and ability to play tonight. He uses his length to his advantage inside, getting offensive rebounds and putbacks, but also at the elbow and on the block in the high-low game. He had patience in moments tonight when posting up and sealing his defender, which we liked to see. If he is able to add to his strength and speed, Perry could be a dominant force on the inside for the next couple of years.