UPPER ARLINGTON, Ohio -- State of the art brand new school, massively upgraded brand new gym and an undefeated football regular season and regional title have Upper Arlington on fire right now.

The Golden Bears basketball team rode that momentum on Friday when they held home court and knocked off defending OCC-Central division champion Hilliard Bradley, 48-43.

Upper Arlington used a 10-0 run from the end of the first quarter until the middle fo the second to give the Golden Bears a 20-12 lead with 4:39 remaining in the half. Holding that eight-point lead until halftime when they led 26-18, Upper Arlington had to be expecting that Hilliard Bradley would come back with a strong counter.

That's exactly what happened as sophomore Cade Norris caught fire and engineered a major rally, scoring eight points in the third quarter alone, helping Hilliard Bradley trim the deficit to one point at 33-32 heading into the final frame.

In the fourth, Upper Arlington took a 37-37 tie and broke things open as senior Quinn Corna hit a corner three and then struck back with an transition dime to give the Golden Bears a 42-37 lead with 4:25 remaining.

Hilliard Bradley responded with a layup from Emmanuel Teah Jr. on the next trip down, however, Upper Arlington trimmed off two minutes of clock and did not allow another field goal from the Jaguars again.

Two press breaking layups and a huge charge taken by senior guard Owen Gawel, who was playing his first game in two years after breaking both ankles, put the game away for good as Upper Arlington rolled into the sunset with a five-point victory.

Corna led all Golden Bears scorers with 18 points, coming alive the most in the fourth quarter. His corner three to take the lead for good seemed to fuel the Upper Arlington run to clinch the win.

Senior Drew Graves added 12 points, cleaning up a handful of big plays and once again finishing at a high level near the rim. Gawel pitched in eight points while senior guard Geoffrey Schoeny, who was the best playmaker in the game on Friday, added three points. Despite only finishing with two points, senior wing Nick Health had a highly productive game on the glass, shutting down several second chance opportunities for Hilliard Bradley.

For the Jags, Norris led all scorers with 20 points and was Hilliard Bradley's only reliable source of offense. Sophomore Jeb Bischoff pitched in nine points while no other player pitched in more than six points for the Jags. 

Upper Arlington will look to get winning next week with road tests at Grove City on Tuesday and Olentangy Liberty on Friday.

Hilliard Bradley won't have to travel far next week with a road matchup at Hilliard Darby on Tuesday before hosting Hilliard Davidson on Friday.

Cade Norris (6'3 hybrid guard / Hilliard Bradley / 2024): With two older brothers each playing Division I basketball right now, Norris is destined to be another high level prospect. Only a sophomore, he carries a heavy load for the Jaguars and seems very capable of succeeding in that role. The 6-foot-3 guard is one of the toughest competitors in the area, as he is a consummate leader on both ends of the floor and demands excellence from his teammates. Norris did a great job of getting to his spots and scoring on the interior, while showing the ability to stretch the floor with his outside jumper - a staple of the Norris family. As he continues to get bigger, stronger and more athletic, Norris is going to be an absolute nightmare for defenses to handle for years to come. 

Quinn Corna (6'2 SG / Upper Arlington / 2022): Corna is a smooth guard who can absolutely fill it up. He's had to carry a big load for the last two years as teammates in his class battled injury and illness, but this could be the year where things really come together for Corna and his fellow seniors. When Upper Arlington needed scoring after Hilliard Bradley cut the deficit to a point, Corna delivered. He can stretch the floor with a pull up jumper that he gets great elevation on, gets off quickly and knocks down consistently. Corna is an underrated athlete who can slash and score at the rim while also having the ability to make plays as a passer on the move. We look forward to seeing how he performs with an Upper Arlington roster that is at full strength and confidence. 

Drew Graves (6'5 wing / Upper Arlington / 2022): Consistent. Solid. Productive. Three words to describe Graves. He delivers every single time we see Upper Arlington play and Friday was no different. The 6-foot-5 senior is a very good finisher at the rim, is able to stretch the floor with his jumper and is a plus level athlete that helps the Golden Bears in transition. Graves made a handful of hustle plays to provide second chance points for Upper Arlington on Friday which helped the Golden Bears pull out the tough win. 

Jeb Bischoff (6'0 guard / Hilliard Bradley / 2024): Norris and Bischoff will be the Bradley splash brothers for years to come, as this duo is solely responsible for backcourt production for this team. The sophomore Bischoff contributed nine points, knocking down a pair of threes. Bischoff is a high level shooter who can really create for himself with the use of head fakes and ball fakes. For the Jags to win tough games, they'll need Norris and Bischoff to really carry the load, as we think they're both capable of doing so.

Geoffrey Schoeny (6'1 PG / Upper Arlington / 2022): You won't find many more impactful three-point performances this season than what Upper Arlington got from Schoeny on Friday. The senior guard was in control of the offense all game long, helping Upper Arlington limit turnovers and find easy, open looks against Hilliard Bradley's pack line defense. The senior guard has been a mainstay in the backcourt for years and is playing some of his best basketball. He exudes confidence, is a very good passer, has a shifty handle and is able to score when he needs to. This is a college point guard who makes others around him better while having quality size.

Owen Gawel (5'11 PG / Upper Arlington / 2022): For the first time since his freshman season, Gawel is healthy and his presence has been a big boost for this Upper Arlington season. The senior is a true testament to toughness, resiliency and dedication, as many people would quit after losing two seasons due to injury. That's not Gawel though, as he kept working and never got defeated and it is clearly paying off. He was a highly impactful player in Friday's game, making Norris work hard to get his points, as Gawel is a fleet footed defender who can get under the skin of opposing guards. On the offensive end, Gawel made open layups, kept the ball moving and made plays when available. Role players are needed to win a high level and Gawel will be one of those important complimentary players this season.