WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Tuesday's OCC-Ohio battle between Westerville Central and Gahanna Lincoln had the feel of a district final. With two unbeaten teams tied atop the OCC clashing, only one could remain perfect.

Gahanna Lincoln (8-0) was that team that remained unbeaten, as furious fourth quarter defense powered the Lions to a major 56-55 win over Westerville Central (8-1) on the road.

The Lions brought out the primetime defense when it mattered most, holding Westerville Central without a field goal for the first six minutes of the final frame. Gahanna Lincoln's 11-2 run in that span proved to be the difference, as a Sean Jones dunk in transition put the Lions ahead 55-43 with 2:13 remaining.

Westerville Central did not back down, however, as the Warhawks closed on a 12-1 run, as sloppy ball handling and poor free throw shooting from Gahanna Lincoln allowed the Warhawks back in it.

It was too little, too late for the Warhawks, however, as Gahanna Lincoln made the hustle plays late and had just enough of an advantage to close the game out and remain unbeaten. 

Gahanna Lincoln came out with elite energy on the defensive end of the floor, jumping out to a 16-7 lead in the first quarter behind the play of junior center Javan Simmons. Simmons had 10 points in the first quarter alone, however, hot three-point shooting from Central put the Warhawks right back in it, trailing 18-16 after the first.

In the second quarter, it was back and forth as Central jumped out to a 25-20 advantage behind the three-point shooting of senior Quincy Clark. Gahanna Lincoln struck right back, as a Sean Jones transition layup knotted the game at 30 at the halftime horn.

Shooting 8-for-14 from three in the first half, Westerville Central was on fire from deep and was able to sustain Gahanna Lincoln's tough interior play.

In the third is when Gahanna Lincoln started to impose its will, as the physical on-ball defense of the Lions started to frustrate Westerville Central. With the Warhawks looking a little worn down, the three-point makes began to dry up for Central.

A Clark three put Central up 39-36 with 3:28 to go in the third, however, Gahanna Lincoln responded with another huge run, outscoring the Warhawks 8-2 the rest of the way to go into the final frame leading 44-41.

In the fourth, Gahanna Lincoln's defense shined, as Jones began to heat up with seven points in the period to extend the Lions lead to as much as 12 points. 

Central showed great fight by cutting the deficit to a single point at the buzzer, however, the Warhawks did not have enough consistent offense for four periods to overcome a defensively stout Gahanna Lincoln team.

Despite shooting 1-for-10 from three and having a not-so-good night at the free-throw line, Gahanna Lincoln was able to survive thanks to its tough team defense and physical inside finishing. 

Simmons led all scorers with 17 points and eight rebounds. Jones added 15 points, five assists and two steals, while senior Jarius Jones pitched in several key hustle plays with nine points and nine rebounds - the majority on the offensive end. Junior guard Brendan Raymond came off the bench and added seven points and great defense, while junior guards Eljae Deas and Cam Johnson each finished with four points, but excelled in their roles.

With starting forward Maceo Williams out due to an extended quarantine, Simmons was able to pick up the pace and provide Gahanna Lincoln with the toughness they needed on the interior.

For Westerville Central, Clark led the Warhawks with 17 points on five three-point field goals. Fellow senior Tasos Cook pitched in 16 points, four rebounds and four assists, while senior guard Landon Tillman added 11 points and had another stellar defensive game guarding Sean Jones.

No other player added more than six points for the Warhawks, who were out-rebounded by the Lions 22-17.

Gahanna Lincoln will look to remain perfect when they host Westland on Friday, while Westerville Central has another tough top-five battle against Pickerington North on the road. 

Javan Simmons (6'7 PF / Gahanna Lincoln / 2022): Simmons is a beast and deserves to be respected as a top player in the area, regardless of class. The 6-foot-7 forward was the key component in Gahanna Lincoln's big win tonight, as his physicality, toughness, energy and effort set the tone early and carried the Lions through. Simmons is a throwback big who welcomes contact. He had his way on the interior with Westerville Central's bigs, finishing through them all night long and grabbing every rebound in his area. The 6-foot-7 junior finished with 17 points, eight rebounds and three steals on a highly efficient 8-for-10 shooting. The only area where Simmons needs to improve is his free throw shooting, as he managed to connect on just one of four attempts. Simmons is a guy who looks and plays like a Big Ten big man, as he has a game very reminiscent of all-time Gahanna Lincoln great Nick Ward, but might be more skilled at this stage. We'd like to see Gahanna Lincoln get Simmons involved even more offensively, as he is a reliable finisher who welcomes any and every matchup in the post, as he has dominated every opposing big he's lined up against this year. It's a no brainer for this kid. Put him in the game and your team will have an instant advantage on the interior. 

Tasos Cook (6'3 WG / Westerville Central / 2021): Cook is one of the best and most impressive athletes that we've ever covered, as he has a great blend of explosiveness, speed, quickness and strength that's hard to come by. The senior had 16 points, heating up late in the fourth quarter with eight points in the final two minutes. The 6-foot-3 senior started the game with two triples but cooled off a bit in the middle quarters before regaining his momentum in the final frame. Against Gahanna Lincoln's quick, scrappy guards who move very well laterally, Cook was not able to get as much offense off the bounce as he has this season, however, we were impressed with his ability to make the right play, as he led the team with four assists. The unsigned senior is one of the very best athletes that you'll find in Ohio, while having an improving skill set that seems to get better by the week.

Sean Jones (6'0 PG / Gahanna Lincoln / 2022): In the games where the lights shine the brightest, Jones seems to elevate his performance and that was none more evident than in crunch time tonight. While he was limited to eight points through three quarters, Jones got hot when it mattered most, scoring seven points in the fourth quarter and fueling a back-breaking 11-2 run over six minutes which ultimately led to Gahanna Lincoln's huge win. While Jones had a less than stellar night shooting jump shots, he was still mightily productive on both ends of the floor, leading the team with five assists, while also taking two charges. Jones is the ultimate competitor and teammate, as he seems more happy and energized when his teammates do something big versus when he makes a highlight play. That unselfishness has allowed guys like Simmons to really grow and thrive, as the pair connected on a handful of plays out of the ball screen game. Jones' patience, vision and decision making out of ball screens is arguably the most impressive part of his game, as he always makes the correct play and does an excellent job of reading the help man. That skill alone will help him to excel in college, as he is a matchup nightmare when he has the players around him who can finish the plays that he creates for them. Jones' IQ, decision making in the ball screen game, tight ball handling, quickness, strength, athleticism and commitment to both ends of the floor make him a no-brainer high-major point guard in our opinion. 

Quincy Clark (6'3 PG / Westerville Central / 2021): Quincy Clark left Elevation Prep and returned home to Westerville Central for games like tonight. On a floor full of scholarship prospects, Clark showed he belonged by going for 17 points and knocking down a game-high five threes. The 6-foot-3 senior is a magician off the dribble, as he can create a look for himself at any given moment. His pull up game was working to perfection on Tuesday, as Clark drained five of his six three-point attempts and added four rebounds and two assists. Defensively, Clark is a cerebral guard who is efficient both on and off the ball. Gahanna Lincoln's frustrating pressure defense limited him to just one field goal inside the three-point line, however, Clark has shown us enough over the years to believe that he will be just fine going forward. Stepping up and providing the Warhawks with much-needed scoring in some of the biggest games this season, Clark has proven himself to be a top-three lead guard in the area. The unsigned senior currently has Division II offers from Northwood and Concord and an NAIA offer from Rio Grande. 

Jarius Jones (6'5 WF / Gahanna Lincoln / 2021): Every team needs a glue guy like Jones. While most unsigned seniors could decide to be selfish and play for offers, Jones has done the opposite and accepted every single job that has been assigned to him by the Gahanna Lincoln coaching staff. Tonight, Jones was badly needed on the glass with Maceo Williams being out for the big matchup. The senior delivered on that assignment, pulling down a game-high nine boards and creating several crucial second chance opportunities for the Lions. While he was limited to two field goals in the first half, Jones' impact on the game was found in every category, as he made it to the free-throw line seven times, converting on five of those attempts. Jones provides valuable versatility on the defensive end of the floor, as he has the foot speed to contain lead guards and the length to bother wings and bigs. Jarius is one of our favorite players in the area due to his team-first attitude which is a major reason why the Lions are 8-0.