COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The first game back for Eastmoor’s varsity team did not go as expected as the trio of Dan Wagner, Eli Burke and Dailyn Swain combined for 42 points as the Nubians knocked off the Warriors 66-36.

Coming off of a one-point win at Independence, the boys from Allegheny Ave. came out wanting to make a statement and it all came together in the second half as the Warriors only scored a total of 13 second half points.

Africentric came out on a 5-0 run before senior Deon Thorpe buried a three-pointer to put Eastmoor on the board. Sophomore Preston Steele scored five of his 11 points in the first and gave the Nubians a 17-11 advantage at the end of the quarter.

Eastmoor punched back in the second, even taking the lead 19-18 after a free throw from freshman James Nowell. Once that happened, the Nubians finished the quarter on an 11-5 run to go into halftime up 30-23.

Once the break was done, Africentric started the third frame on an 8-2 run to stretch the lead to 39-25. They continued the dominant play as they held Eastmoor to seven total points in the third quarter. Sophomore star Dailyn Swain put in six of his 16 points during this period and had a block that may have gone into the boys bathroom at Eastmoor if the refs didn’t get to it first. The Nubians went into the final frame up 50-30.

The fourth quarter was the Eli Burke show as the senior scored eight of his game-high 17 points in the frame which included a reverse dunk that came after a slight slip on the court. Another defensive masterpiece of a quarter from the Nubians who again held the Warriors to single-digits, allowing just six points in the fourth.

Sophomore Terrion Hale scored 11 for Eastmoor to lead the way, no other player scored more than five. The Nubians will host Briggs on Friday looking to continue their lead in the south division and the Warriors welcome South for senior night.

The win brings the Nubians to 5-0 in City League play while the Warriors loss drops them to 1-4 on the season.

Eli Burke (6’1 G / Africentric / 2021): The clear vocal leader of this team, his words and actions led this team, as he not only scored 17 points but he also lit a fire under his teammates at halftime. Burke was alerting his team of the defensive adjustments that needed to be made and that was a major key in the lock that the Nubians used on the Warrior offense in the second half. On offense, Burke was patient and let the game come to him, he did not allow the defense to speed him up and finished in the paint at will. His fourth quarter was explosive, he was all over the court, collecting steals, rebounds and was quicker than a hiccup in transition. Burke was great against Eastmoor, despite slipping and not getting as high as he wanted too on what should have been the dunk of the night.

Dailyn Swain (6’6 F / Africentric / 2023): Probably the most complete prospect in the city league for his class, Swain showed off every skill he had against the Warriors. He brought the ball up the court and set up offense, being a good decision maker and showing an effortless handle of the basketball. Swain finished around the rim with good touch and had a couple big time dunks that put his athleticism on display. The best plays of the night were made by the sophomore, catching alley-oop off the backboard and the block that should’ve ended up in the old health room at Eastmoor. A future star for the Nubians, this young man is going to carry this team into the future.

Dan Wagner (5’11 G / Africentric / 2022): His coach said that this was the best defensive game he has seen Wagner play, and it is tough to disagree with that statement. Wagner was instrumental in holding Aaron Lawson to only four total points, and forced other guards into turnovers. Picking up back to back questionable fouls in the second did not deter him from playing aggressively on the end of the court, gathering steals and starting transition offense for his team. Although he was relatively quiet on offense, scoring nine points, he drained a deep jumper and hit two of his three free throws. Wagner also had the assist of the night, throwing it off the glass to Dailyn Swain for a monster dunk.

Terrion Hale (5’9 G / Eastmoor Academy / 2023): He is simply one of the hardest working and toughest players this writer has seen this season, regardless of league or class. His 11 points led Eastmoor and kept them afloat in the first half. Hale is very hard to keep from the rim, his determination alone will get him close to the paint and he has a nice touch to finish in the lane. His jumper needs to fall at a more consistent rate, but Eastmoor has a good, young tandem in the backcourt with Hale and Nowell.