COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Africentric and Eastmoor battled for fourth  place in the City League South on Friday night. The Nubians continued to trend upwards as they won their fifth consecutive game, downing Eastmoor 63-45 behind 23 points from junior guard Eli Burke.

Africentric took a 27-21 lead into halftime with all of the momentum on their side. They fed off that momentum and continued to play phenomenal defense in the third quarter. 

Offensively, they kept Eastmoor on their heels as they relentlessly attacked the basket. They led by 14 in the third quarter and never looked back as they saw their lead grow to as much as 20 during the fourth quarter.

For Africentric, Burke had a game-high 23 points, while Cali Davis and Dan Wagner both scored 12.

For Eastmoor, senior guard Julian Binford scored 18 points and Dalon Keaton and Kamal Waters added six each.

Eli Burke (6’0 G / Africentric /2021 ): Burke had himself a night as he excelled as a downhill driver, getting the basket with relative ease. He showed off impressive body control and the ability to finish through contact as he had several and-1 finishes. He showed off his explosiveness on a poster attempt that would have shut the gym down. Defensively, he  made it difficult for whoever he was guarding. He did a great job of taking care of the defensive glass as well, limiting second chance opportunities for Eastmoor. Africentric is at their best when Burke is playing with the level of confidence he displayed tonight.

Cali Davis (6’1 G / Africentric / 2020): Davis set the tone on defense tonight. He always brings 100% effort on that side of the floor and his teammates really fed off him tonight. He wreaked havoc on the ball, coming away with multiple steals. He showed off his athleticism by coming up with a nasty block. One off the better shooters in the area, Davis flashed his potential as a slasher tonight as well as he finished well at the rim.

Julian Binford (G 5’9 / Eastmoor / 2020): Binford showed off his impressive ball handle as he broke down defenders and tried to find teammates. He was money from beyond the arc, showing the ability to hit off the dribble or catch and shoot as he knocked down four threes. He did a great job of pressuring the ball and came up with some steals on ball as well.