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Olentangy Liberty 58, Dublin Coffman 56 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Jake Spegal, 01/22/21, 11:00PM EST

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Henry Hinkle's layup at the buzzer helps Olentangy Liberty pick up a huge league win

DUBLIN, Ohio -- Sometimes it's about how you start and sometimes it's about how you finish.

For Olentangy Liberty on Friday night, it was about both of those things as the Patriots started out hot and rallied in the second half to erase a deficit and take down Dublin Coffman 58-56 thanks to a game-winning lay-in at the buzzer from senior guard Henry Hinkle.

Coming out on fire, the Patriots quickly jumped out to an 8-0 lead that they extended to 12-2 following a putback finish from Andrew Wade that forced a Dublin Coffman timeout with 5:26 left in the first quarter.

While the Shamrocks quickly cut the deficit after this, a backdoor layup from Hinkle following an excellent find from Wade out of the post put Olentangy Liberty up 16-13 after eight minutes of play.

Despite star junior guard Ajay Sheldon getting in foul trouble in the second quarter, Coffman gained life from sophomore guard Aiden Schmidt, who hit four triples in the quarter to put the Shamrocks up 31-25 at the break.

Despite Dublin Coffman extending this lead to 37-28 with 3:21 left in the third, Olentangy Liberty woke up late in the frame and orchestrated a beautiful 14-2 run to end the quarter capped off by a mid-range from Cooper Davis following a steal to put them back ahead, leading 42-39 heading into the final frame.

While Dublin Coffman began to find life on offense once again in the fourth, Olentangy Liberty played excellent team basketball and answered every blow from the Shamrocks to put themselves in a position to win the game with a few minutes to play.

While Sheldon had different plans and tied the game at 56 with a cold-blooded three with 4.5 seconds to go, Hinkle refused to go to overtime, racing down the court to finish a layup at the buzzer and help the Patriots secure a huge league win.

He led Olentangy Liberty with 18 points while Wade added 13 of his own and Foster contributed 12.

Following the win, the Patriots move to 10-2 and keep themselves in position to possibly shake some things up in league play in the last couple months of the season.

For Dublin Coffman, Sheldon led all scorers with 21 while Schmidt added 18 on six three's.

They fall to 6-3 following the loss.

Henry Hinkle (6'0 PG / Olentangy Liberty / 2021): Helping put together a huge second half run to put Olentangy Liberty back in it, leading the team with 18 points and converting on the game-winning score, Hinkle was fantastic tonight. The senior guard plays with the game with a high IQ and knows how to get open off the ball just as well as he knows how to create his own shot, which he made evident by converting on several tough backdoor finishes within the flow of the Olentangy Liberty offense. While it is sometimes the shooting of the senior that allows him to catch fire, he did not hit any three's on Friday but nailed a couple shots from the mid-range and used his silky handle to get by defenders and finish at the rim. Hinkle gets his teammates involved, is a reliable defender and simply knows how to win, as he is one of the most well rounded senior guards in the area and is enjoying an excellent senior campaign.

Aiden Schmidt (6'2 WG / Dublin Coffman / 2023): The main reason that Dublin Coffman led at halftime on Friday night, Schmidt put together an impressive performance shooting the ball as he finished with 18 points by way of six triples. A lefty with a quick trigger and smooth release, the sophomore is an excellent fit in Dublin Coffman's offense and tallied a season-high in scoring tonight by knocking down shots that the defense gave him. With the ability to catch fire at any moment, Schmidt is a player who could put up some big numbers shooting the ball in the future as Dublin Coffman's offense relies heavily on perimeter shooting.

Ajay Sheldon (6'1 PG / Dublin Coffman / 2022): While foul trouble hurt Sheldon in the first half and limited him to just seven points, the junior guard began to heat up in the second half, finishing with 21 points and nailing a cold-blooded three off the dribble to tie it with less than five seconds left. Sheldon has a dynamic handle that allows him to get to the rim where he's a crafty finisher who embraces contact at times as he scored a lot of his points off the dribble drive on Friday. While he hit just two triples on the night and missed a handful, we know the type of shooter that Sheldon is as he can hit from anywhere inside of half court either off the dribble or the catch. While we would like to see him stay more under control at times, Sheldon is a guard for scholarship programs to keep an eye on as he has a ton of skill, is a great passer and isn't afraid to compete on the defensive end.

Tylar Foster (6'3 WF / Olentangy Liberty / 2021): A player who consistently shows up for the Patriots, Foster was excellent from start to finish on Friday night as he put his full game on display and finished with 12 points, a handful of rebounds and a few assists. Foster just always seems to find ways to score and get himself involved in the game as he nailed a three tonight, hit a shot from the mid-range, scored off instinctive cuts within the offense and had an impressive driving score. Foster is a consistent rebounder, a solid defender on the perimeter and the interior and is overall excellent in his role as his play is a vital piece in any game that the Patriots want to win.

Andrew Wade (6'6 WF / Olentangy Liberty / 2021): To keep it simple, Wade is a junkyard dog. Doing what he does best on Friday night, the senior cleaned up the glass for second chance scores, protected the interior and came up with a tough post score to contribute to the winning effort for Olentangy Liberty. Wade also made some instinctive passes out of the post and frustrated Dublin Coffman ball handlers with his length on the defensive end. The senior wing always seems to show up and do his job, as he would be an excellent addition to any small college program in the region with his tools and frame.

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