COLUMBUS, Ohio -- While it was cold outside, the Linden-McKinley Panthers (3-1) were hot inside as they traveled off Broad St. and picked up a victory over the East High Tigers (1-2), 68-54.

The Panthers were led by 21 points from Shamarion Rogers and 16 points from LB Towns in the classic rivalry win.

The Tigers were able to make numerous runs in the game but they were never enough as the Panthers’ talent took over and ran them off of the court. 

A quick 5-0 run started the proceedings for the Panthers until senior transfer Mekhi Bloodworth hit his first bucket of the game to stop the run. Rogers established himself as a problem in the first quarter, scoring 10 of his 22 to start the game. The Panthers took a 20-9 lead into the next quarter.

The second quarter was the Towns show as he scored six points, added two beautiful dimes in the paint and snatched two more steals to continue his team’s edge as they went into halftime up 39-24. Bloodworth added 13 of his own points for the Tigers, scoring all but two points. 

Junior Kwalee Woods Law came out of halftime and went on a personal 5-0 run to start the third and get the Tigers down by 10. Another Bloodworth basket cut the lead to 8 at 39-31 until a free throw from LA Walker and a Travis Foster basket put the Panthers back up by 11. East roared back and a Bloodworth free throw got the lead down to four points until junior Malakhi Armistead sank a corner three to back up by seven. Linden continued to pour it on and finished the third quarter with a 56-40 lead. 

Linden held Bloodworth scoreless in the fourth quarter while senior Xayvion Brooks scored five in the frame for the Tigers as they went down. The senior Bloodworth led all scorers with 27 points for East followed by Kwalee Woods Law with 13, including 11 in the second half.

For Linden, Rogers continued his hot start to the season with another productive outing, finishing with 21 points and nine rebounds. Towns added 16 points, six assists and just one turnover, while Armistead, Walker and Foster combined for 23 points. 

Falling to Northland last Friday, Linden has some ground to make up in the division and can tie for first place in the league next Monday when they head to Beechcroft for an important road game. These teams met in the district semifinals last season and will once again do battle in another major matchup. 

For East, the Tigers will hit the road for their next two league games, taking on Northland on Wednesday and Centennial on Friday.

Shamarion Rogers (6’4 G / Linden McKinley / 2021): He was a beast all evening, starting on the glass where he dominated. The senior also finished at the rim through contact with a soft touch and got money in the mid-range, never having to force up a shot he did not want to take. The way Rogers established himself early was impressive, putting his imprint on the game and setting the tone for his team. The 6’4 senior just looks like a hooper and he brings that good north side intensity to the court. Rogers is tougher than a $2 steak and his physical play will lend itself well at the next level. 

LB Towns (5’9 G / Linden McKinley / 2022): Towns is the best passer in the Columbus City League, and combines it with being the fastest with or without the ball in his hands. His vision is next level good, throwing some beautiful dimes to teammates against the Tigers and doing it with flair. That quick first step allows him to penetrate whenever he wants and Towns can finish in traffic over the trees in the paint. The ball pressure Towns displays is scary good, forcing opposing ball handlers into mistakes and capitalizing with transition buckets. This young man is definitely a lead guard somewhere at the next level and he still has another year to prove it. If all of that isn't impressive enough, Towns also carries a GPA well above 4.0. 

Mekhi Bloodworth (6’6 F / East / 2021): A true inside-out scorer, Bloodworth can do it all on the offensive side of the court. He brought the ball up the court and initiated the Tiger offense at times, showing a nice handle while not making bad decisions. Bloodworth got his deep jumper working in the second quarter, nailing three of them as a part of a 13 point quarter for the senior. His length allows him to rebound the ball at a fairly high rate, more muscle will have his rebounding numbers soaring. Bloodworth has been the consistent scoring threat for the Tigers, a match-up nightmare for opposing teams. Moving in to Columbus from Kalamazoo, Mich. over the summer, Bloodworth is quickly making his mark in the area as he is one of Central Ohio's top scorers at 26.7 PPG.