COLUMBUS, Ohio -- There wasn’t much separation between Delaware Hayes and Marysville, but a second half charge from sophomore forwards Jesse Burris and Jake Lowman, who combined for 38 points was enough to get by Marysville 46-44 on Saturday.

Marysville’s early 6-0 lead in the first quarter would be the largest lead either team would see until the fourth quarter. Delaware Hayes trimmed the lead to 8-7 with just over three minutes left in the first, and the game went back-and-forth from there.

The second and third quarters were filled with some key shots, keeping either side from gaining too much momentum. A couple of three pointers from Nick Weaver, some great free-throw shooting by Kade Focht, and of course, impressive scores from Burris and Lowman led to a hard fought game.

The biggest shift in the game came at the end of the third, when Lowman knocked down a three-pointer to give Delaware Hayes a 36-35 lead.

In the fourth, Delaware Hayes was able to extend their lead to as many as seven points, before Marysville tightened things up, and cut the lead down to just two with five seconds left.

With a chance to either send the game to overtime or win the game outright, Marysville was unable to even inbound the ball before a five-second violation was called. Delaware Hayes dribbled out the final 2.1 seconds and celebrated on their way to a road win. A fitting end to what was a frustrating second half for the Monarch’s despite still having a chance to win the game in the end.

Delaware Hayes’ Burris and Lowman did just about everything for the Pacers. In fact, no other player scored more than two points outside of the free-throw line for Delaware Hayes. Marysville couldn’t find any answers defensively as the duo continued to hit shot after shot. Lowman led the way with a game-high 22 points, while Burris didn’t trail far behind with 16 of his own.

For Marysville, the scoring was distributed much more evenly, as Focht’s 13 points led the way, with Jason Moore scoring 11. RJ Thornton ended the night with nine points, and Weaver tacked on another eight.

Jake Lowman (6’3 WF / Delaware Hayes / 2024): Lowman’s career-high 22 points came from all over the floor as he showed off his scoring abilities. The 6-foot-3 sophomore knocked down nine shots, including two threes, mid-range jumpers, a contested layup in transition, a floater, and a smooth stepback. Lowman’s impact on the game and the team was noteworthy as well. He played a huge role in not only keeping Delaware Hayes in the game, but he also provided a huge momentum boost for the Pacers when they needed it most. Lowman is only in the beginning stages of his sophomore season, but he looks ready to take on one of the lead roles for Delaware Hayes this season.

Jesse Burris (6’4 WF / Delaware Hayes / 2024): Fresh off of a 29-point outing the night before, the exciting sophomore forward worked his way to 16 points on Saturday. Burris didn’t start the game hot by any means, but he was able to work his way to the free-throw line, where he made four shots in five attempts. He also nicked down a pair of threes with a couple of mid-range jumpers, and an incredible up and under move to score at the rim on a fast-break. Burris’ aggressive play style complimented with his lights-out shooting ability makes him almost impossible to contain for very long. Burris has quickly become one of the most exciting prospects in the area, and with the emergence of fellow sophomore Lowman, Delaware Hayes is looking at a bright future ahead.

Jason Moore (6’7 F / Marysville / 2024): Moore collected plenty of rebounds and earned all five of his baskets with his relentless activity at the rim. At 6-foot-7, Moore creates a lot of problems for opponents inside. The sophomore forward made himself at home in the paint, as he was a mismatch for almost every defender, and out-rebounded just about everyone in the gym. He also made two trips to the free-throw line, although he only shot 25 percent from the stripe. While Moore still has a lot of room to grow, he’s a prospect we are excited to see develop, and could be a game changer for Marysville as early as this season with performances like Saturday night.

Kade Focht (6’3 G / Marysville / 2022): Focht had some of the most crucial baskets of the entire game. The senior’s 10 second half points were the biggest reason why Delaware Hayes was never able to pull away and win comfortably. Focht knocked three big shots and four important free-throws in the second half to keep the Monarch afloat. As one of only two seniors who sees significant playing time at Marysville, Focht’s role as a leader will be important for the Monarch’s this season. Despite the loss, he took a big step in that direction on Saturday.