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Pickerington Central 52, Newark 30 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Cameron Carter, 01/22/21, 11:45PM EST

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Tigers dominate from start to finish while Newark goes cold from behind the arc

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Led by a game-high 16 points from multi-sport star Garner Wallace, Pickerington Central jumped out early and never looked back on Friday night, defeating OCC-Buckeye rival Newark 52-30.

The Tigers grabbed an early lead Friday night with their athleticism and shooting ability. Wallace, along with junior Josh Harlan, and sophomore Sonny Styles all got into the scoring column in the first quarter as the Tigers took a 9-4 lead into the second.

The lead extended before halftime as the Tigers found more success on the offensive end and picked up the pressure on the defensive side of the ball. Zakai Alexander, a six-foot-three wing guard, was causing problems for Newark as he got into passing lanes and played great on-ball defense.

Despite being down 25-11 at halftime and having no luck offensively, Newark didn’t give in and continued to fight. They began the second half on a 7-0 run through the play of Elijah Hinton and company.

The Wildcats were able to get the stops they needed in the third quarter to make a comeback, forcing the Tigers to turn the ball over and take some rushed shots, however they could not find the bottom of the basket from behind the arc. The Wildcats hit just three triples all night, one of them being in garbage time, on many more attempts than that.

When Pickerington Central needed it most, Wallace and Harlan both stepped up, knocking down big threes in the third quarter to push their team’s lead back out. The Tigers took a 33-20 lead into the final quarter and didn’t look back.

Harlan chipped in 12 points for the Tigers, and they also found major contributions on both ends of the floor from their other three starters, with Styles who scored nine points, and Devin Royal and Zakai Alexander who both added six points.

In the loss, six-foot-seven forward Elijah Hinton led the way for the Wildcats. The senior scored nine points, was active on the glass, and played hard for the full 32 minutes. Senior guard Jaden Winbush also had a good showing for Newark, scoring eight points on two threes in the contest.

Capped off by a monstrous transition dunk from Styles, Pickerington Central finished strong, sweeping Newark on the season.

Pickerington Central (5-4) returns to the floor on Tuesday when they travel to Groveport Madison in another OCC-Buckeye battle. Newark (4-5) will look to get back in the winning column as they will finish up their back-to-back Saturday night at Grove City.

Garner Wallace (6’5 W / Pickerington Central / 2021): Garner Wallace had a great game as he scored a game high 16 points including two threes, an impressive coast to coast score, and a reverse lay in on a baseline drive. The Northwestern football commit is an elite level athlete who has had an illustrious career on the hardwood, and Friday night was just another example of that. Wallace didn’t just get it done scoring, he also rebounds and defends extremely well, using his athleticism to his advantage. The senior took a charge, contested shots, and fought for tough rebounds all game. Effort is never a question with the future Wildcat.

Josh Harlan (5’11 PG / Pickerington Central / 2022): The offensive skills were on display tonight for Harlan as he shot the ball extremely well. The five-foot-eleven point guard knocked down three triples throughout the night and had success from the midrange as well. He showed off his tight handle of the ball by splitting a ball screen and effectively running the offense. Harlan also is a great passer as he makes the extra pass to open teammates and finds open man when the defense collapses. Solid performance out of the junior.

Elijah Hinton (6’7 F / Newark / 2021): Hinton plays harder than anyone on the floor and it showed. The senior forward hustles every time down, getting his team extra possessions and big rebounds when they need it most. You could find him on the floor a number of times Friday night making winning plays for his squad. There isn’t a ton of raw offensive talent on Hinton, but he has a strong frame and uses it to his advantage in the post. He scored on a few different post moves, including a tough and-one that sparked his team’s third quarter run.

Sonny Styles (6’4 W / Pickerington Central / 2023): Mr. Styles is one of, if not the best athlete in central Ohio. The sophomore did it all for the Tigers Friday night, scoring, rebounding, defending, handling the ball, blocking shots, you name it, he did it. He played well throughout the game, but arguably the two most impressive plays came late when he began handling the ball to run out the clock with just a few minutes left. The six-foot-four wing showed off his guard skills with a mean cross and drive to the basket, finishing a difficult shot on the left side of the rim. Shortly after that he came up with a steal and threw down a thunderous two hand slam in transition.

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