COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the first game of the day at Ohio Dominican for the Jared Sullinger Play-By-Play Classic on Saturday, Jonathan Alder steamrolled Reynoldsburg in the second half, defeating the Raiders 59-34.

In an extremely competitive first quarter that saw three lead changes in the first couple of minutes, Jonathan Alder used an extremely long possession and a mid-range off the bounce from junior Jackson Izzard just before the buzzer to take a 9-6 lead into the second.

After an easy inside finish from Henry Walker and a tough score off the dribble from Jackie Santa-Emma, the Pioneers increased their lead to 13-6 with 5:31 left in the half.

They hung on to this lead as they led 17-10 with 3:30 left in the half before a tough finish through contact from Reynoldsburg senior Sean Moore cut the deficit to 17-12 with 3:17 to go in the frame.

Claiming their largest lead of the game to this point, Alder pushed the score to 22-14 at the half after a corner three from Santa-Emma and a tough defensive stop right at the buzzer.

Starting the second half on an 8-0 run, Alder increased their lead to 30-14 and forced a Reynoldsburg timeout with 6:01 left in the third behind a triple from ​​​​​​​Logan Stevens, a lay-in off an instinctive backcut from Izzard and a three from Tyler Begin.

However, Reynoldsburg didn't waver, as the Raiders used an 8-0 run in the last 2:15 of the frame capped off by a tough spinning finish from ​​​​​​​Zaveon Croff to trim the Jonathan Alder lead to just 36-27 after three.

Jonathan Alder responded with a huge fourth quarter, doing a fantastic job of executing on both ends of the floor, using a 13-3 run to increase their lead to 49-30 with 4:22 to go, all but wrapping this one up.

Now winners of nine straight, the Pioneers are back in action next Tuesday when they host Benjamin Logan in a CBC contest.

After dropping two tough ones in a row, Reynoldsburg will look to respond in a big test with Pickerington Central at home next Friday in an OCC-Ohio showdown.

Jackie Santa-Emma (5'11 PG / Jonathan Alder  / 2020): Santa-Emma had a fantastic showing for Jonathan Alder in the contest, controlling the game at the lead guard spot for the entire 32 minutes. The senior is a true point, as he is one of the best passers in the area off the attack, and we saw exactly that as he made a ton of advanced drive-and-kick reads to open shooters and found teammates within the offense for easy layups on multiple occasions. He has a polished handle and an excellent feel as he attacked for a couple of tough finishes with both hands, knocked down a catch-and-shoot three and finishes a tough lay in off a really, really instinctive backcut. Santa-Emma competes hard on the defensive end as he is very disciplined, has good hands and also played the passing lanes for a steal on Saturday. Small colleges and even Division II programs should take a look at the senior as he really knows how to be a true point guard and has an advanced feel for the game.

Jackson Izzard (6'3 WG / Jonathan Alder / 2021): Izzard had a fantastic showing alongside Santa-Emma in the Alder backcourt, using his long 6-foot-3 frame and good athletic tools to slash to the rim for some tough scores and make a difference on the defensive end while also flashing his smooth stroke by knocking down a catch-and-shoot three from the corner a minute into the game. Similarly to Santa-Emma, Izzard has an extremely good feel for the game, plays with a good pace and doesn't make many bad decisions. He made several good drive and kick reads, made a good dump off to Walker underneath and found open teammates within the offense on multiple occasions. The junior also hit a mid-range off the bounce, used his speed to attack coast to coast for a tough right-handed finish and used his length to follow a missed layup for a tip-in score. Izzard took a charge on the defensive end, played the passing lanes for a pair of steals and played excellent team defense within the Pioneers intricate scheme. Keep an eye on Izzard, as he is a legitimate scholarship prospect in the 2021 class with a really polished game, however, he is also a scholarship level wide receiver on the gridiron, so time will tell what the future holds for the junior.

Zaveon Croff (6'2 WG / Reynoldsburg / 2021): When it comes to motor, there aren't many players anywhere in the area better than Croff. The 6-foot-2 junior had a strong performance for Reynoldsburg, leading the Raiders with 12 points off the bench, getting to the free throw line at will. Croff lurks in the passing lanes, is always a threat on the offensive glass and is one of the team's best on-ball defenders. A terrific athlete that is adding more to his perimeter game, Croff impressed us with his effort on the glass, his handle and passing ability. We look forward to seeing him more as games like Saturday will help him earn more playing time. If you can impact a game in the half court and play with as much if not more effort on defense than offense, there's a place for you in college basketball and Croff fits that description. 

Henry Walker (6'6 WF / Jonathan Alder / 2020): Walker controlled the game on the interior all day in a tough matchup with Reynoldsburg senior Sean Moore,  using his length, athleticism and discipline to make a big difference on both ends of the floor. The senior does a fantastic job of playing within the Pioneers' offense, as he sets the right screens, makes the right cuts and finishes off his opportunities near the rim at an extremely high rate. He did exactly that on Saturday, finishing a litany of good looks near the rim after freeing himself up, scoring both around length and through contact on a few occasions as well. He controlled the glass on both ends, came up with a pair of blocks and did a great job of running the floor for the Pioneers as well. Walker would be a great look for small programs in the region as he plays disciplined defense, has a great frame and is developing more wing skills game in and game out.