WORTHINGTON, Ohio -- Worthington Kilbourne (1-0) showcased their toughness and intensity Friday night by defeating OCC-Capital opponent Delaware Hayes (0-1) by 27 and holding them to just 30 points. The Wolves were led by senior Ian Schupp who dominated from start to finish, ending with a game-high 15 points. 

Both sides got off to a sluggish start in their first games of the season. It was a physical first quarter as the officials let the teams play, not blowing the first whistle until we were already four minutes and 53 seconds into the game. 

Once Schupp settled in however, Kilbourne jumped out to a big lead. The 6-foot-5 senior scored 11 of his 15 points in the first quarter, propelling the Wolves to an insurmountable lead that only grew throughout the game.

Kilbourne also had five other players score seven or more points in the contest. It was an all-around team victory for the home squad. Travis Mecklenburg added nine, Mitchell Abahazie contributed eight and Ayden Parsons, Luke Wolford, and Brian Wilson all scored seven points for the Wolves.

The story of the night for Kilbourne was their excellent defense. They played great on the ball, got into passing lanes, and rotated well into help. 

Delaware Hayes struggled to get into a rhythm offensively, often turning the ball over before they could get the shot they wanted. 

A bright spot for the Pacers was the play of 6-foot-2 freshman Jesse Burris. Burris finished with a team high of 12 points and had a great showing on both ends of the floor. 

Also making an impact for Delaware was senior guard Ryan Smudz. Smudz got into foul trouble early and had to sit for most of the first half, but once he got going in the second half he showed a little bit of life by knocking down three triples.  

The pressure and strength Kilbourne brought to the floor tonight ended being far too much for Delaware to handle. 

Kilbourne will hit the road tomorrow night and face off against another divisional opponent in Canal Winchester. Delaware is also back in action tomorrow night at Buckeye Valley.

Ian Schupp (6’5 WF / Worthington Kilbourne / 2021): Schupp dominated the game all night with his strength and athleticism. Multiple times he gained a full head of steam going to the basket while remaining under control and finishing up and over defenders. With his size and strength, that makes him very hard to stop. He put his athleticism on display as he also had an impressive dunk out of the post off of just a drop step. Schupp also played very mature and selfless inside tonight. Delaware played a zone for most of the night and Schupp played very well in high-low actions and finding kick outs for open threes. It was an impressive start for Schupp in his senior campaign.

Jesse Burris (6’2 WG / Delaware Hayes / 2024): Burris is a star in the making. In his first game as a freshman, he looked like he belonged on the court as much as anyone. It was a quiet performance from the 6-foot-2 wing due to the deficit his team faced, but he still played extremely well. The game comes easy to Burris and he plays a very smooth game. The freshman has a nice stroke as he hit a pair of threes and one very impressive fadeaway from midrange. He looked good on the defensive end as well, even stepping over and taking a charge in the first half.

Travis Mecklenburg (6’5 F / Worthington Kilbourne / 2021): Schupp’s 6-foot-5 counterpart, Mecklenburg, had a very good showing for Kilbourne in the first game of the season. Mecklenburg didn’t get into the scoring column until the second half, but he was still able to finish with seven points. The senior forward did all the little things right for Kilbourne tonight, rebounding, defending, and generating offense. He isn’t a scary scoring threat, but with great size and strength in the post, he can score over most defenders. Mecklenburg was impressive playing out of the post tonight as he also played the high-low game extremely well, finding many dump off passes to Schupp for layups or kick outs for open threes for his teammates.

Ryan Smudz (5’9 G / Delaware Hayes / 2021): Despite finding himself in early foul trouble, Smudz should be able to find a moral victory in his second half performance. The senior guard picked up three fouls and had to sit for most of the first half, but once he got going in the second half he was able to hit a few deep balls. Smudz has a great handle on the ball and a very good jumpshot. He was vocally leading his team throughout the game, even when he was out with foul trouble. The senior is the main leader for this team, so look for him to learn from this first game and bounce back with big performances going forward.