COLUMBUS, Ohio -- It's usually not often that the narrative heading into a game is exactly the way the game ends up being played out.

However, that was the case on Friday night at DeSales as Bishop Ready senior Darius Parham (26) and Stallions senior Des Watson (22) carried the load for their respective teams all night in a contest that the Silver Knights took home 48-46.

Opening the season the same way he ended the last one, Watson set the tone early for DeSales with an easy bucket off the opening tip.

While Watson getting in an early groove may strike fear in many players, that was not the case on Friday as Parham and Ready quickly answered, taking an 11-10 lead into the second after the senior wing nailed a three seconds before the buzzer.

Taking this momentum into the second frame, the Silver Knights held onto their lead for the majority of the quarter, extending it to 24-20 and forcing a DeSales timeout with 1:48 left in the half following a mid-range score from Parham.

Storming back in the last two minutes of the half, a three from Austin Mann, a score from Watson and a couple of free throws helped DeSales end the first half on a 7-0 run and take a 27-24 lead into the locker room.

After DeSales extended their lead to as much as eight in the third, Parham answered the call once again, helping put together a quick 5-0 run to trim the deficit to three and then nailing a triple before the conclusion of the frame to cut it to just 36-34 heading into the final eight minutes.

The Stallions then responded midway through the fourth as a huge slam from Watson and a three-pointer from Michael Walker pushed their lead to 43-37 with a few minutes to play and seemed to put them in a great position to win the game.

Bishop Ready never backed down, however, as they stormed back with a 6-0 run to tie it up and then took the lead 45-44 with 1:41 to go following an inside score from Parham.

After the two teams traded free throws for a couple of possessions, Ready had the ball ahead 48-46 with .06 seconds left on the clock, simply needing to inbound the ball and catch it securely to win the game.

Giving DeSales another shot to win, the Silver Knights committed an over-and-back violation immediately on the inbound, however Watson did not even have time to get a shot off on the next possession, securing the win for Bishop Ready.

Dueling it out all night, Parham and Watson led their teams in scoring as the only players on the floor in double figures.

Moving to 0-1, DeSales hits the road tonight for a matchup with Tri-Valley. The Stallions need to find some help around Watson immediately, however, that could be in the form of senior wing Obed Achirem, who is sidelined with an injury currently.

Bishop Ready now moves to 1-0, starting off the season exactly the way that they wanted by taking down the favorite to win the CCL.

Darius Parham (6'3 WG / Bishop Ready / 2021): A four-year varsity contributor who feels like he's played for Bishop Ready for 10 years, Parham made a statement on Friday night by rolling into DeSales, dropping 26 points and taking the Stallions down. Making an all-around impact from the opening tip, Parham affected the game on both ends of the floor. He defended Watson at times on the perimeter, came up with a few big blocks and carried the scoring load for Ready offensively. At 6-foot-3, Parham is an athletic guard with a great frame. He put his three-level scoring ability on display last night by hitting a couple of shots from the mid-range, nailing three triples and using his body to get to the rim and score inside. Parham is always in attack mode, playing with an aggressiveness that you love to see but rarely ever getting out of control or forcing things. Defensively, Parham's quickness and strength allow him to be a stout defender on the perimeter and also keep him from getting pushed around inside. Also the quarterback on the Ready football team, Parham is a prospect that scholarship programs should begin taking a look at, as he currently holds one offer from Wilberforce.

Des Watson (6'4 WG / DeSales / 2021) While Friday night was certainly not Watson's best night shooting the ball from the outside, the Davidson commit still carried the load for DeSales, using his combination of size, strength and IQ to create open looks for both himself and others. Watson bodied off weaker defenders for easy scores, hit one mid-range off the dribble and showed off his athleticism by throwing down a huge transition slam. On a team where a lot of guys have not seen much varsity time, we also liked the way Watson passed the ball on Friday, getting young teammates such as Cruz Sanchez in a groove by creating easy buckets for them. Even if it isn't his best night shooting, the senior is always a force to be reckoned with and Friday night was no different as he opened up his senior campaign.