GROVE CITY, Ohio -- Some things just don't change.

After defeating rival Central Crossing (3-12) earlier in the season in the Best of the Southwest Classic championship game, Grove City (8-6) got the best of the Comets once again on Wednesday night, defeating them for the tenth straight time by way of a 58-44 win.

While Central Crossing senior Donovan Collins opened up the scoring with a triple on their first possession, Grove City quickly responded behind the play of juniors Brock Waits and Alex Coffey.

Despite both teams hitting shots early and showing promise on the offensive end, the Greyhounds used a quick 7-2 run towards the end of the first to take an 18-11 lead into the second frame behind 15 points from the duo of Waits and Coffey.

Central Crossing would crawl back in the second and keep things interesting as  they cut the deficit to four after a triple from ​​​​​​​Tyler Ronevich and then answered a Grove City bucket on the other end with a floater from senior ​​​​​​​Logan Green to force a Greyhound timeout as they led just 24-20 with 1:41 left in the half.

Despite senior big ​​​​​​​Devon Miller picking up his third foul with about 4:50 left in the second, the Comets stayed in it and headed to the locker room trailing just 26-20 at the break.

Unfortunately for the Comets, this was as close as they got for the rest of the night.

In a big time 22-11 third quarter where Grove City took full control of the game, the Greyhounds got a contribution in the scoring column from every player in their starting line up starred by seven points from Crager and Waits each.

After heading into the fourth ahead 48-31, Grove City never looked back and despite Central Crossing cutting the lead down to 10 midway through the frame, the Greyhounds took the care of the ball and converted on some easy looks to wrap this one up late.

They were led by 19 points from Waits, while Crager scored 14 and Coffey added 13 of his own. Luke Smith also chipped in with five.

They move to 8-6 after the win and will host Reynoldsburg in an OCC-Ohio showdown on Friday night.

For Central Crossing, Green scored 12 to lead the way while Collins was right behind him with 11. Matt Reed, Ronevich and Miller each scored seven as well, but no player outside of the Comets' starting lineup scored a single point.

They fall to 3-12 after the loss and host Marysville on Friday in a tough OCC-Central clash.

Brock Waits (6'0 PG / Grove City / 2021): Waits had it working for the Greyhounds tonight as he led all scorers with 19 points while being face-guarded and showed off his range along with his ability to attack off the dribble. The 6-foot guard has a quick first step, a tight handle and good quickness, all of which allow him to excel at attacking matchups off the bounce and we saw this as tonight as he got inside for a tough floater, drew contact on multiple occasions and even finished off a tough and-one after an impressive combo move with a big crossover. The junior keeps defenders on their heels with his deadly range as well as we saw him knock down three triples and a tough mid-range from just inside the free throw line, all of which came off of the dribble. Waits is also a tough matchup on the defensive perimeter as he has quick feet, active hands, a high motor and can hold his own with his size. Keep and eye on the junior as he continues to prove himself as one of the most productive scoring guards in his class as he does a lot of creation for the Greyhounds each and every game on the offensive end.

Cole Crager (6'2 WF / Grove City / 2020): Crager had an impressive showing for the Greyhounds, showing off his inside-out ability as he plays the big man role for Grove City but is also productive on the perimeter. Heating up in the second half, the senior knocked down two three's off the catch, banked in a mid-range off the dribble and hit another mid-range off the dribble just in front of the free throw line. Depsite being a bit of bruiser who can rebound and defend on the interior at just 6-foot-2, Crager has some finesse to his game as well as he is a skilled scorer on the offensive end who can get his own shot.  He made a good drive-and-kick read along with a soft touch pass overtop of a defender for an easy layup, showing off a good IQ within the Greyhounds offense and ability as passer. Crager also blocked a shot, saved a loose ball and stole a couple of passes, playing with a great motor throughout the contest. If Grove City has nights where they can get Crager going along with Waits and Coffey, they're a team who could stir some things up come tournament time.

Alex Coffey (6'1 WG / Grove City / 2021): Finishing with a very efficient 13 points, Coffey made the most of his opportunities at the line tonight, attacking off the dribble for contact and converting on seven of eight attempts at the charity stripe. Coffey plays with a good feel, has a smooth stroke and uses his promising frame to absorb and finish through contact. He hit a mid-range off the dribble tonight, converted a mid-range for an and-one while moving after coming off of a screen and finished a tough and-one on the low block after making an instinctive back cut to free up some space between he and his defender. He attacked the rim off the bounce for contact on several occasions, taking blows and earning his points the old fashioned way. He also made a pair of impressive passes while driving off the bounce, making a good dish coming left-handed from the baseline and dropping off a dime while attracting help defense driving left. Coffey is a reliable team defender who is a knockdown shooter and is capable of making things happen off the dribble. Small college programs in the area should begin to familiarize themselves with the junior as he has the potential to become a solid two-way asset.

Luke Smith (6'0 WG / Grove City / 2020): Smith is earning a mention here for the same exact reason that he did the last time we covered Grove City, his hard work. The senior came up with a couple of offensive rebounds tonight, showed excellent hustle while saving a loose ball and took two charges. He also came up with a steal leading to a coast to coast layup and knocked down corner three off the catch, making the most of his opportunities and helping his team out on both ends of the floor. Smith is a "glue guy" as you need players like him, especially in rivalry games such as tonight where the energy is running high.

Donovan Collins (6'3 PF / Central Crossing / 2020): Collins had a decent showing down low for the Comets, going for some impressive scores, cleaning up the glass and playing disciplined defense throughout the contest. He knocked down a three off the catch to open up the contest and displayed a really good floater, using his soft touch to convert with it on three different occasions in the lane. The 6-foot-3 power forward has a bulky frame, will move guys around and has a good touch near the basket with the ability to stretch the floor. He is a tough matchup on the defensive interior as well as what he lacks for in height, he makes up for with his size, strength and discipline. Collins is one of the Comets' go to players on offense this year as he and Miller form a decent front court.