BEXLEY, Ohio -- St. Charles (10-5) and Chillicothe (12-2) offered the best possible game for a Monday night, as the two talented teams battled back and forth in an instant classic.

While the visiting Cavaliers made the hour trip north ranked No. 7 in the state by the Associated Press, senior-laden Chillicothe was not able to put any points on the board in the final 135 seconds, as St. Charles ended the game on a massive 7-0 run to pick up its best win of the year, 54-51.

Two buckets from Jayvon Maughmer gave Chillicothe a 51-47 lead with 2:15 remaining, as it looked as if the Cavaliers had finally struck the blow it needed to widen the gap and put a restless St. Charles away.

The Cardinals had other plans, however, as a quick three on the other end by sophomore Jared Frey reduced the deficit to a single point, putting the pressure back on the Cavaliers. 

Playing excellent defense on the ensuing possession, St. Charles forced the ball out of the hands of Chillicothe four best players, as a layup attempt from junior Eli Taylor was blocked by St. Charles senior center Vic Searls, resulting in a tie-up that went the Cardinals' way.

On the following trip down the floor, St. Charles went back to Searls, who carried them all game.

With Spencer Martin trapped in the corner, the senior delivered a great pass to Searls, who was coming across the lane and freed up by a great screen from junior Ryan Utt, who bumped Chillicothe senior Brandon Noel off from Searls just enough for the Cardinals big man to lay the ball under the outstretched arm of Noel for the go-ahead bucket with 42.6 seconds to go.

St. Charles' defense stepped up once more with the lead, as Maughmer was defended excellently by Cardinals sophomore Juan Reeder, who was aided in help side defense from Martin, as the senior poked the ball loose and nearly forced a turnover.

Calling a timeout with 15.9 seconds to go and trailing by a point, Chillicothe had officially gone two minutes without points in a game that they controlled for the vast majority of the second half. 

With the ball in the hands of senior guard Tre Beard, what looked like a clear path to the rim was disrupted by Searls, who came over from help side defense and forced the 5-foot-9 Chillicothe senior to attempt an up and under layup across the lane for the win. With Beard's attempt falling short, Searls corralled a contested rebound with 8.5 seconds to go and the win in reach for St. Charles.

Sending Martin to the line for two big free throws, the senior did what he had done all game - make winning plays, as his two attempts hit nothing but net and extended the St. Charles lead to three points at 54-51 with 7.9 seconds to go.

With Chillicothe out of timeouts and the distance to go, Maughmer put the ball in his own hands and went the length of the floor. With St. Charles sophomore Doogie James coming off his man to pick Maughmer up near the three-point line, the 5-foot-8 sophomore with the heart of a lion disrupted the Cedarville signee just enough for Maughmer's game-tying three attempt to miss iron.

Picking up its biggest win of the season, St. Charles showed incredible resolve and toughness in grinding out a Chillicothe team that had only lost to back-to-back state champion Cincinnati Moeller coming into Monday's game. 

Balanced scoring was the name of the game for St. Charles, as Frey led all scorers with 14 points, the majority of which coming in the second half and most importantly in a 20-13 fourth quarter for the Cardinals. Searls added 12 big points in a primetime battle in the post against the Wright State signee Noel. James had a gutty performance, going for 12 points and making his mark with his rebounding, defense and playmaking ability.

Martin added five points, all of which in the second half, while Reeder contributed four points and tough defense.

For Chillicothe, Maughmer led the way with 15 points in a strong showing. Beard and senior Vincent Roper each finished with 10 points, while Noel pitched in eight points. 

With the win, St. Charles will look to stay hot with back-to-back home matchups against Bishop Watterson on Friday and Olentangy Berlin on Saturday.

For Chillicothe, the Cavaliers will head back to southern central Ohio when they take on Washington Court House on Friday before hosting Upper Arlington in non-league play on Saturday. 

Vic Searls (6'8 C / St. Charles / 2020): In a matchup against one of the best post players in the state, Searls showed why he should be considered among that group as the Ashland signee won the one-on-one matchup and the game. The 6-foot-8 senior, who has shed a ton of weight since last year thanks to a new diet and workout routine, is now playing like someone with more life in their legs (and lungs). Searls began the game with six-straight points on the interior, going right through the chest of Noel on his first bucket and helping St. Charles withstand an early run from Chillicothe. Searls has a soft touch inside, is as good of a back to the basket scorer as there is in Central Ohio and thanks to his new mobility, is a much better shot-blocker, rim runner and rebounder than he was a year ago. Ashland smartly stepped in and snagged Searls before anyone else could, as he has a chance to be a really good college player if he keeps making the strides that he's made over the last year. 

Jayvon Maughmer (6'5 WG / Chillicothe / 2020): Cedarville has done an outstanding job on the recruiting circuit in the last three years, signing polished players who can do a little bit of everything. Maughmer fits that mold as the 6-foot-5 guard was the best player on the floor for long stretches on Monday. Maughmer is a smooth operator with the ball, as he's a true three-level scorer with great size and above average athleticism. When Chillicothe needed a boost in the second half, he delivered, sparking a 8-0 run to begin the half and scoring back-to-back buckets late in the fourth to put the Cavs up four before St. Charles' run. Maughmer has a smooth pull-up game, can really get to the rim and finish and is a physical wing defender that did an outstanding job on St. Charles' super sophomore Frey. We look forward to watching Maughmer's college career, as he will have two years to play with his older brother Branden Maughmer, who is one of the very best guards in the GMAC. 

Doogie James (5'8 PG / St. Charles / 2022): You know the old saying. It doesn't matter the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. That saying describes James perfectly, as the sophomore is as tough as they come. In a matchup against a senior laden Chillicothe backcourt that was going to give him as tough of a challenge as he's had all year, James responded beautifully. The sophomore played tough defense all night, was a factor on the boards despite his lack of height and hit a few tough shots that helped St. Charles stay in the game. In a matchup against 6-foot-3 Vincent Roper, James was not fazed, as he was able to create separation off the dribble and help St. Charles get into an offensive rhythm. James is a shifty ball handler with solid athleticism, as he can get into the lane and score over length. We are most impressed with his defensive toughness, as he defends the ball at a high level and has quick, active hands that make him a big disruption. Every team could use a guy like James, as he will do whatever it takes to win. 

Tre Beard (5'9 PG / Chillicothe / 2020): In a game with plenty of size, it was nice to see the little guys shine. Beard was an example of that, as the senior guard pitched in 10 points and had a strong showing for Chillicothe. While Beard is known for his marksmanship as a three-point shooter, we were most impressed with his defensive impact where he played the passing lanes better than any player in the game. Beard has excellent speed and lateral quickness, as he helped Chillicothe get out into transition a handful of times with his defensive playmaking. The senior had two three-point plays on contact finishes and stretched the floor with the threat of his outside shooting. Small colleges would be smart to put Beard on their recruiting lists, as he's a talented guard who plays both ends of the floor.

Jared Frey (6'4 WG / St. Charles / 2022): While it took Frey a little while to get going, once he got into a rhythm St. Charles seemed to feed off him. The 6-foot-4 Frey had a tough matchup on the perimeter against Maughmer, who is as good of a wing guard as most he'll face all year. We were impressed with the way Frey played, as he accepted the challenge and turned in a strong two-way showing, leading St. Charles in scoring with 14 big points, the majority of which in the second half where he woke up in a major way. While Frey burst onto the scene last year with his deep three-point shooting which has the propensity to extend beyond the three-point line, the 6-foot-4 sophomore has spent more time attacking defenses off the bounce where he's a talented contact finisher. Frey may not have excellent quickness, however, he plays with great pace and little wasted movement, as he knows how to get to his spots to be effective. When he's not scoring, he's a talented passer with great vision. While his offensive skills are something to marvel at, we were most impressed with his defense, as he showed the ability to stay in front of Maughmer and not give him anything easy in the half court. If Frey can continue to improve and evolve that part of his game, he's going to be one of the most sought after prospects in the 2022 class. 

Brandon Noel (6'8 C / Chillicothe / 2020): Wright State is getting one of the highest upside prospects in Central Ohio, as Noel showed the parts of his game that made him such a coveted prospect. The 6-foot-8 senior has a smooth, natural jump shot that extends out to the three-point line. With the threat of that, Noel has the foot speed and athleticism to take advantage of sloppy close outs, as he found his way to the rim for a really impressive finish in the first half where he showed all those elements of his game. While St. Charles did a great job of defending Noel and sending multiple defenders his way any time he touched the ball, we liked the motor, effort and physicality that he played with. The interior matchup between Searls and Noel reminded us of the good days just a few years back when big men like Kaleb Wesson, Nick Muszynski, Nick Ward and Sterling Manley roamed the area. 

Chase Walker (6'7 C / St. Charles / 2023): One of the very best freshmen that we've seen all year, we continue to be impressed with Walker in each new viewing of him. The 6-foot-7 freshman is massive, as he uses his size to his advantage, clearing out space in the post where he's an adept rebounder and scorer on the block. The most impressive part of Walker's game in our opinion is his passing ability. The freshman sees the floor out of the post as well as any big man we've scouted since Kaleb Wesson, showing incredible patience and vision where he fires absolute missiles with one hand to open shooters in the weak side corner or along the opposite wing. As Walker continues to get more comfortable with the pace and speed of the varsity game, he's going to absolutely excel as he's a genuinely tough kid with a great understanding for how to play the center position, something most young bigs don't get until later on. 

Vincent Roper (6'3 WG / Chillicothe / 2020): James and Roper make our All-Effort Team for last night's game, as it was an absolute treat to watch them battle back and forth all night. Roper is what you would define as a 'glue guy,' doing all the dirty work for Chillicothe and providing them with elite perimeter defense. While his offensive game is a bit raw in the half court, Roper makes a huge impact defensively, where he defends the ball at a very high level at 6-foot-3. We've now seen Roper defend smaller, quicker guards in James and Gahanna's Sean Jones, and the senior has held his own each time, making both sophomore guards work for everything. When Roper wasn't shutting off driving lanes and playing the passing lanes, he was securing every 50/50 ball and pushing the tempo in transition where he made several great passes ahead that led to scoring opportunities for Chillicothe. He will never be your go-to scorer, however, Roper makes a huge impact with his toughness, willingness to sell out for the team and physical on-ball defense. That alone makes Roper a small college prospect, as any program who values those aforementioned qualities should give Roper a strong look.