COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Coming into Tuesday night’s contest, Whitehall owned a two-game lead over the rest of the MSL-Ohio with four games remaining. They previously defeated Grandview by 12 on January 3rd, however this time around was a different story. 

In what was a thrilling second meeting, Grandview (14-5) defeated Whitehall (11-7) by a score of 59-56. The Bobcats were led by senior standout and Iowa football commit, Luke Lachey, who put up an incredible statline of 24 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. 

Whitehall junior Royal Sibley played a terrific game for the Rams as he was impressive all night in recording 21 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and four blocks. 

Grandview jumped out to a 13-point lead in the first quarter through 10 points from Lachey and great playmaking from senior Brian Collier. For the next two quarters, Whitehall played catch up while trying to take control of the lead. 

Each time Whitehall made a run at the lead, Grandview stood strong and responded with a run of their own allowing them to keep the lead. Finally, in the fourth quarter, Whitehall got a taste of the lead when junior Teddy Brown knocked down a three. 

It was then when Lachey caught a great pass from Collier and buried a triple of his own, giving Grandview a 53-51 lead with 2:51 remaining in the game. Grandview went on to keep that lead and secure a big time league win, cutting the Whitehall first place lead down to just one game above Worthington Christian. 

Both teams played excellent games tonight and provided an entertaining back and forth game. When it was all said and done, the senior leadership and effort out of Lachey and Collier powered Grandview to the win.

Collier finished with 14 points, seven assists, and two steals. Grandview also got production from Charlie James and Aiden Leslie. James provided 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists while Leslie put up nine points. 

For the Rams, juniors Josiah Mobley, Teddy Brown, and Kievon Wiggins played well and looked very good on both sides of the ball. Mobley scored 11 points and grabbed three rebounds.

Brown also had 11 points and three rebounds, with two assists to add to his line. Wiggins finished with seven points, two rebounds, three assists, and two steals while bringing crucial energy and playmaking down the stretch for Whitehall.

Grandview is back in action on Saturday when they travel to Bexley and look to win their fourth game in a row.

Whitehall hosts Columbus Academy on Saturday before a huge game next Tuesday against Worthington Christian that could potentially secure a league title for the Rams.

Luke Lachey (6’7 F / Grandview / 2020): Lachey is a physical freak of nature that can do it all on the hardwood. And the football field too, I guess. The Iowa commit showed off his hooping skills in tonight’s contest by making plays all night long that helped his team come out victorious. The 6-foot-7 forward used an impressive set of post moves tonight, successfully sealing his defender and using great footwork to set up easy scores on the block. He was finishing over and through the athletic and high-flying Whitehall defenders consistently as well. Not only that though, but Lachey brought his game outside too, hitting a pull up jumper and both of his three-point attempts. Lachey had an emphatic dunk in the halfcourt, using a drop step move and going up with two hands, leaving the crowd with jaws dropped. Lachey did it all on the other end as well, contesting shots around the rim and pulling in every loose rebound. Unfortunately for the game of basketball this kid is even better at football, but we love everything he brings to the table and know that the sky's the limit for him. As the season finishes and the tournament begins, look for this match-up nightmare cause some problems in Division IV.

Royal Sibley (6’6 WF / Whitehall / 2021): Despite not being on the winning side of this game, Sibley put up one of the better all-around performances we have seen this year. The 6-foot-6 wing is as long and athletic as they come with an incredibly impressive vertical. Sibley also affected the game in every way possible, scoring, defending, rebounding, playmaking, the junior did all you could ask. He scored from all areas of the floor, knocking down threes, attacking and finishing at the rim, cleaning up the glass and getting stick backs, and rising up for a powerful dunk. There was a sequence in the first half when he threw down a physical standing dunk, then went down to soar up and block a shot on the other end. He was battling an apparent leg injury in the final quarter of this game but still put it all on the line until the final buzzer for his team. Sibley has all the intangibles and we are excited to see him develop into the best player he can be this summer and into his senior season. 

Brian Collier (6’0 G / Grandview / 2020): Collier didn’t exactly get it going offensively tonight, only going for 14 points on a little inefficient shooting. However, the senior leader ran the show for the Bobcats and did a great job setting the rest of his team up all night long, finishing with seven assists. When he was scoring he was doing it in a variety of ways, hitting long range threes, contested pull ups, and layups in traffic. We love the attention to detail he has on the offensive end, utilizing his great form, quick release, and amazing footwork to be as successful as possible. His vision is excellent as well as he passed out of some double teams and hit his teammates in their shooting pockets all night. We’re excited to see what the senior can cook up in the postseason for Grandview. 

Josiah Mobley (6'1 G / Whitehall / 2021): Mobley played a good game tonight for Whitehall despite not putting up a lot of numbers. He put on display his skills on the offensive end tonight by scoring his baskets without a lot of breathing room. The junior guard shot the ball confidently and didn’t hesitate to shoot the next open one after a miss. He excelled at doing the little things like using pass fakes and good footwork to create space for himself and his teammates. He knocked down three shots from deep range as well, showing he is a capable shooter if he’s not defended a few feet past the line.