UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio -- Coming into a road challenge at Wellington alone atop the MSL-Ohio, Whitehall could not afford a letdown performance.

The Rams (10-6, 7-1) got the opposite of that - and then some - dominating from start to finish to race past the host Jaguars (8-7, 4-4), 89-67.

Whitehall was the aggressor from the opening tip, seeming to speed Wellington up and make them uncomfortable with their physical defense.

Behind the play of rising junior Royal Sibley, who went for an astounding 16 points, 13 rebounds (h/t Anthony Garcia of Prep Hoops), eight assists and four blocks, Whitehall had a major advantage on the interior and really made Wellington work for points.

Using a major 24-9 second quarter in a half where the Rams had two three-point buzzer beaters, one from Sibley and the other from junior Josiah Mobley, Whitehall went into halftime with a massive 42-19 advantage.

While Wellington crept back to within 15 points in the second half, it was too little, too late as Whitehall used the excellent three-point shooting of Mobley to maintain its sizable lead and roll to a seventh MSL-Ohio win in eight tries. 

Perhaps the biggest key in the win was the defense of the Rams, who held the conference's leading scorer, Wellington senior Elijah Meredith, to just 14 points - six below his average.

Mobley was one of five Rams in double figures, knocking down five threes to finish with a game-high 19 points. Sibley was a man among boys for the entire game, slamming down three powerful dunks, throwing a litany of on-target outlet passes, blocking five shots and altering many others and grabbing every rebound in and around his area.

The Whitehall backcourt had a strong showing, as junior guard Teddy Brown pitched in 12 points, while junior wing Kievon Wiggins added 13. Coming off the bench, senior Charles Miller contributed 10 points on a handful of strong drives to the rim.

For Wellington, junior guard Marcus Stewart had a solid outing, going for 17 points. Meredith and freshman wing Brandon Ivery each pitched in 14 points, as the Jags were never able to recover from a disastrous second quarter.

No other Wellington player added more than seven points, as Whitehall really bothered the Jags for large stretches of the game, beating the Jags in transition and cleaning up the glass behind the 6-foot-6 Sibley.

Whitehall will host Toledo Scott on Saturday before heading back on the road to take on Grandview Heights in an important league game next Tuesday. With a one game lead over Buckeye Valley, the Rams will likely have to take down the Barons one more time in order to win an outright league title.

Wellington won't have much time to lick their wounds, as the Jags will resume league play on Friday at Columbus Academy. Sitting three games back of the first place Rams, Wellington could still play spoiler with division contender Worthington Christian on the schedule on Feb. 4. 

Royal Sibley (6'6 WF / Whitehall / 2021): UPSIDE. Yes, it needs to be in all caps because Sibley has as much of it as any prospect in the 2021 class. The 6-foot-6 junior put on a masterful all-around performance in leading Whitehall to a dominant win. Going for 16 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists and four blocks, Sibley had his fingerprints all over Wednesday's game. The junior is an exceptional athlete, elite rebounder, terrific passer and intriguing rim protector that had a bigger two-way impact than anyone in the game. With a million dollar frame and broad shoulders, Sibley looks the part of a future Division I prospect, as he uses that to his advantage to make a big time impact in every area of the game. We liked the way he attacked the rim, cleaning up two missed shots and flushing home three powerful jams. The 6-foot-6 junior has a serviceable handle that he uses in space to get to the rim, as he is nimble and agile enough to weave his way through traffic. While we've seen Sibley knock down perimeter shots in the past, he didn't take a jumper outside of six feet on Tuesday, save for a 50 foot buzzer beater that he hit at the end of the first quarter. We liked the way Sibley moved his feet on the perimeter, stay ing in front of opposing ball handlers and altering any shot that can near him at the rim. Sibley has a wingspan that stretches for days and the athleticism to match, as he has plenty of tools that you just can't teach. The Whitehall junior is a definite scholarship prospect that Division I and II programs should put on their lists. We wouldn't be surprised to see him break out on the AAU circuit this upcoming summer. 

Josiah Mobley (6'1 G / Whitehall / 2021): We've been watching Mobley for years and it was nice to see him have a strong showing on Wednesday. The 6-foot-1 junior guard got into a rhythm and never got out of it, knocking down five threes, getting to the rim for a few scores and even coming up with a big block on the defensive end of the floor. Mobley is a microwave shooter that can get hot in a hurry when he gets in a rhythm, which was the case on Wednesday. On a Whitehall team with plenty of athletic slashers, a floor spacer like Mobley is a great asset, as he did his job at a high level in the win and even showed us some grit and toughness by diving on the floor for a handful of loose balls that resulted in Whitehall possessions. As long as Mobley plays with confidence, he has a chance to really help this Whitehall team in their pursuit of an MSL-Ohio title. 

Teddy Brown (5'11 PG / Whitehall / 2021): One of our favorite recent stock risers, Brown was really solid once again on Wednesday. The 5-foot-11 junior guard is the definition of toughness, as he sets the tone with his physical on-ball defense that had Wellington ball handlers distraught all game long. Putting together a terrific defensive showing where he came up with a few on-ball steals, Brown was more than just a one trick pony, as he showed plenty of craftiness as both a scorer and distributor. The junior has a strong mid-range game, knocking down a few jumpers from that area, while also being a solid scorer who can finish under the rim. Whitehall was much more efficient with Brown on the floor, as he can both calm the team down and get them into their sets, but can also get them going in transition where the Rams can run with anyone. We look forward to watching Brown more as he takes real pride on the defensive end of the floor which seems to get his offensive game going. 

Marcus Stewart (6'3 WG / Wellington / 2021): After a tough showing in our last viewing of Wellington last Tuesday, it was nice to see Stewart bounce back with a strong performance against Whitehall. The 6-foot-3 junior guard was dialed in on the offensive end all game long, knocking down two triples, three free throws and four shots inside the arc, as he showed an ability to beat his defender off the bounce and get to the rim. With Meredith limited on Wednesday, Stewart's 17 points helped the Jags keep the game somewhat competitive for most of the second half when it looked like things could get out of hand. In order for Wellington to make a deep run in Division IV, the Jags will need more games like Wednesday's out of Stewart. 

Kievon Wiggins (6'4 WG / Whitehall / 2021): While Sibley is Whitehall's best prospect, Wiggins has been the Rams' most consistent player all season long as he had another strong showing against Wellington. The 6-foot-4 junior is a physical downhill scorer that loves to use his size, first step quickness and toughness to beat defenders to the rim. We love the motor that Wiggins plays with, as he is an active defender who is a threat in the passing lanes. When he wasn't coming up with steals, Wiggins was finishing everything in transition, as the junior constantly beat Wellington down the floor for easy buckets at the rim. The 6-foot-4 junior can really score it off the bounce and is a tough cover for most high school perimeter players that can't match his toughness and physicality. 

Charles Miller III (5'10 G / Whitehall / 2020): A former 270 Hoops Fall League champion, it was nice to see Miller have a strong showing for Whitehall on Wednesday. Miller came off the bench and provided Whitehall with spark-like scoring, beating defenders off the dribble and showing a strong ability to finish at the rim. Miller is another scrappy guard in a Whitehall program with an endless supply of them, as he paired nicely with Brown in the backcourt and caused havoc for Wellington. A hard working guard that has put a ton into his game over the last two years, Miller can make this Whitehall team dangerous when he's playing at the level he did for stretches on Wednesday, as he gives the Rams yet another reliable option to compliment the outstanding junior wings Sibley and Wiggins.