COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the fourth game of the day at Ohio Dominican for the Jared Sullinger Play By Play Classic, Thomas Worthington rolled over Northland despite junior big Tyrese Hughey going down with an injury early in the first quarter, defeating the Vikings 67-38.

In a first quarter that saw four lead changes, Northland's Eldon Boateng and Thomas Worthington's Jalen Sullinger both got hot early for their squads, as Sullinger went for 10 points on two triples in the frame and Boateng got things done on the interior for the Vikings, grabbing a handful of offensive rebounds and finishing a few touch scores in the post.

While Thomas Worthington headed into the second ahead 17-15, Northland scored the first four points of the frame, going ahead 19-17 with 6:21 left in the half following a tough coast to coast finish from sophomore Tabree Beacham.

Thomas Worthington then responded with a 10-3 run, going ahead 29-22 following a layup from freshman Joey Zalewski off a good look from Sullinger.

After Sullinger hit a pair of free throws with a minute left in the half, Thomas Worthington took a 31-24 lead into the locker room.

Opening up the game and taking control in the third, Thomas Worthington used a 18-6 run over a seven minute span to increase their lead to 49-30 with 1:03 left in the frame. 

While Sullinger continued to produce for the Cardinals in the third, junior Isaac Settles knocked down two three's in the frame and had a tough finish, giving Thomas Worthington a solid secondary scoring option to Sullinger. 

After heading into the final frame ahead 51-31 following a block from Sullinger before the buzzer, Thomas Worthington rolled to the win, going on cruise control for the final eight minutes of play.

The Cardinals will take on Olentangy Berlin next Friday in an OCC-Cardinal game that should be a cake walk for them.

For Northland, the Vikings will travel to East on Tuesday for a City North battle.

Jalen Sullinger (5'11 PG / Thomas Worthington / 2021): As the kids would say, Sullinger was in his bag on Saturday, doing virtually whatever he wanted to against the Northland defense and knocking down some really tough shots, per usual. The junior knocked down five three's, three of which were extremely deep and one of which that came by way of a nasty pullback crossover move, doing this in very efficient fashion and not taking many bad shots. He also got to the rim attacking with the left whenever he wanted, showcasing a tough floater on a few occasions, even converting one for an and-one, and finishing off a handful of takes inside. Sullinger is as good as they come in the area at hitting shots off the dribble and is a blast to watch on the offensive end, as we've grown used to watching him carve up defenses just like he did on Saturday.

Isaac Settles (6'5 WG / Thomas Worthington / 2021): Settles had one of the best viewings that we've seen of him recently, knocking down three triples and finishing with 13 points. The 6-foot-5 junior played with a great level of energy on both ends, giving great effort on defense and taking good shots when Sullinger wasn't murdering the Northland defense. We've consistently said that Settles is a motor away from being a highly effective two-way wing and he proved that to be true, as his effort, toughness and shot making ability were a big boost for Thomas Worthington on Saturday. 

Isaiah Ingle (6'8 C / Northland / 2020): In a tough game for Northland, Ingle was a bright spot in terms of his shot blocking and altering ability. The 6-foot-8 center is the longest player in the area, as he is one of the best rim deterring bigs that you'll find in a senior class that is light on post players. We liked the strides that Ingle showed in his low post game, as he had three scores in the half court, using his length to finish over smaller defenders. Ingle is a NO BRAINER for junior college programs needing length, unusual size and shot blocking ability. If he can add consistency to his game to go along with some work in the weight room, he has a chance to be a pretty special post player. 

Eldon Boateng (6'1 PF / Northland / 2020): Despite not being the tallest or most athletic, Boateng is as a tough as they come and plays with an extremely high motor. He had a fantastic showing against Thomas Worthington in the first half, grabbing a ton of offensive rebounds and finishing a few scores in the post, showing off some good footwork and touch near the rim. He also finished a layup in transition and played some really tough interior defense, as he uses his strength and discipline to hold his own on the interior. He also took a charge and cleaned up the glass on that end of the floor. Boateng is a tough customer, as we think small colleges in the program should take a look at the senior due to his motor, love for the game and toughness.