GAHANNA, Ohio -- Gahanna is unbeaten no more. Coming into hostile territory with its back against the wall in a must-win game, Pickerington North (14-4) handed the Lions (16-1) its first loss in 17 games, as senior Hunter Shedenhelm blocked a potential game-tying basket moments before the final buzzer, leading the Panthers to a monumental 51-49 victory.

Shedenhelm came up clutch a handful of times in the waning moments, as two free throws from the Ashland signee gave North a 40-39 lead with just over six minutes remaining. Relying on its senior core of Shedenhelm and Chris Scott, North extended its lead to as much as four points at 48-44 with a little more than four minutes to go in the game.

Gahanna never led again, as the Lions got as close as a point, but porous free throw shooting in the final quarter ended up being the difference. North nearly gave Gahanna a chance to tie or take the lead on the final possession, as the Panthers split a pair of free throws on back-to-back trips in the final minute.

On the game’s final possession, Shedenhelm, one of the area’s elite perimeter defender, showed his worth when he forced the ball out of the hands of Gahanna star sophomore Sean Jones on a drive to the rim. Shedenhelm then recovered on help side defense, coming from the opposite wing to the right block, swatting away a potential game-tying bucket from Lions junior Maceo Williams as the buzzer sounded.

Yelling “I do this,” on the court moments later, Shedenhelm rose to the occasion in the biggest moment of the game, helping North jump right back into the race for an OCC-Ohio title. Tied with Pickerington Central with two losses in league play, the Panthers could earn a share of the league title if the Tigers are to knock off Gahanna on the road on Feb. 14.

In a game that went back and forth all night, North held an 18-14 lead after a quarter of play. Gahanna’s defense came alive in the second quarter, as the Lions held North to six points, trailing 24-21 as the teams went into the locker room.

In the third quarter, Gahanna took a momentary lead, controlling the game for most of the period. Leading 38-35 on the final possession of the quarter, Gahanna forced a stop on a Shedenhelm three, however, North scooped up the loose ball and kicked to sophomore guard Jerry Saunders who buried a game-tying three at the buzzer.

The Panthers rode that momentum into the fourth quarter, as a few big-time defensive stops mixed with cold shooting from the Lions led North to its biggest win of the year.

Scott and Shedenhelm led the Panthers with 24 combined points, while junior guard Casey George also finished in double figures with 11 points.

Saunders added five points, while sophomore guard Dior Conners had a big game off the bench, contributing seven points and a few key hustle plays.

For Gahanna, Williams was hard to stop for most of the night, finishing at a high level near the basket to lead all scorers with 19 points. Jones pitched in 12 points, while senior Zane Leitwein pitched in 10 points on two three-point field goals. No other Gahanna player added more than five points, as offense was hard to come by for most of the fourth quarter.

Suffering its first loss since a sectional final upset against Big Walnut to end last season, Gahanna must now regroup with its back against the wall for the last five games of the year. Holding a one game lead in the OCC-Ohio, the Lions will have to defend home court once again against a Pickerington program when Central comes to town on Feb. 14.

For a young Gahanna team that marched out to 16-straight wins, a humbling loss like this could mean good things going forward, however, the pressure is still there as a share of an OCC title is right there for the taking for Central and North.