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Thomas Worthington 60, Marysville 52 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Greg Glasser, 12/19/20, 12:00AM EST

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Cardinals hold off comeback effort to notch first win of season

MARYSVILLE, Ohio -- OCC play finally kicked off tonight as Marysville hosted Thomas Worthington in a Cardinal division contest that came down to the final few minutes.

Worthington took early command as senior point guard Jalen Sullinger went perfect on his first three three-point attempts, giving the Cardinals an early 20-9 lead.

Marysville stormed back and eventually cut Worthington’s lead down to one going into halftime. The Monarchs continued to keep the game close as they trailed the Cardinals 41-39 entering the final period.

The comeback stopped short in the fourth quarter, however, as Marysville senior point guard and team leader Jack Christian, who played a great game, exited halfway through the quarter after fouling out.  From there, Worthington did a nice job of controlling the clock and making enough free throws to avoid Marysville from getting any closer than a two-possession game. 

It was a duel of the point guards, as both team’s senior leaders in Sullinger and Christian were the best players for their squads tonight.  They also almost had identical stat lines as they each had five assists, multiple steals and were their team’s leading scorer. 

For Worthington, Maurice Collins contributed 14 points and showed a nice shooting stroke.   The Cardinals also received key hustle plays and complimentary scoring from Joey Zalewski, Kerwin Williams and Omari Effong. 

Senior forward and Furman commit Tyrese Hughey struggled to get into the flow of the game after starting with early foul trouble. He finished with two points, but his three assists were some of the smoothest dishes of the game, displaying excellent vision for a player in his position.

Senior wing guard and two-year starter, Isaac Settles, was not dressed and on crutches.  He appears to be sidelined for the foreseeable future.  

The Monarchs received additional scoring from senior forward Garrett Taylor, who had 11 points.  Senior Riley Karnes added 9 points, all coming from beyond the arc.  

Freshman power forward Jason Moore will be a player to keep an eye on.  He had four points and two rebounds in his varsity debut. 

Both teams are back in action Saturday night.  Thomas Worthington travels to Dublin Jerome, while Marysville visits Hilliard Darby.

Jalen Sullinger (5’11 PG / Thomas Worthington / 2021): You can nearly expect the Kent State-commit to deliver every single game and tonight was no different. Leading the way with 23 points, Sullinger has serious, serious range, making multiple 3-pointers far beyond the arc.   What he may lack in size, he makes up for with serious bounce as he is arguably one of the better rebounding guards in the area.  One of Sullinger’s most impressive plays tonight actually came on the defensive end, as he had a clean block on Marysville’s 6’7 Taylor.   Thomas Worthington has hopes for a district title and beyond and it’ll be Sullinger leading the way.

Maurice Collins (6’4 WG / Thomas Worthington / 2021): While Sullinger will typically be the primary scorer on most nights, Collins has the potential to take the role as the next pure scorer for the Cardinals.  With a tall and lean build, Collins runs the floor well and has a smooth shot, making multiple baskets from long range. Thomas Worthington is filled with role players. If Collins can continue to score double digits each game, he will be a player that opponents will need to plan against.

Joey Zalewski (6’2 WG / Thomas Worthington / 2023): The guy just flat out hustles. While he didn’t have many shot attempts outside of the paint, the sophomore wing was active on the boards and all over the floor, diving at any loose ball opportunity.  He finished with 7 points and 6 rebounds.  Zalewski has a strong build for his age and if he continues to grow and develop a long-range shot, he’ll be a very intriguing prospect.

Jack Christian (5’11 G / Marysville / 2021): The clear leader for his team, Christian put in fantastic effort, showcasing a versatile all-around game.  Not only was he effective from deep, Christian displayed some craftiness with difficult finishes in the paint.  Christian led his team in points, assists and steals and plays with a tenacity that makes you enjoy watching him. He has the ability to win some games himself and can keep Marysville competitive with anyone in their division.

Garrett Taylor (6’7 PF / Marysville / 2021): Going against a physical and stronger Cardinals group, Taylor showed off some nice moves and finishes in the post.  He was the primary recipient on a majority of Christian’s assists, moving well without the ball.  Taylor also did a nice job on the defensive end, limiting Hughey’s scoring production.

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