WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Tuesday's game between West Jefferson and Northside Christian was a battle of young vs. old, as the senior laden Roughriders took on the underclassmen heavy Lions. 

Experience won out, as senior MJ Book's 22 points and 11 rebounds helped West Jefferson (5-1) pull away from Northside Christian (3-4), 50-41. 

Tuesday's game was Northside Christian's first in 18 days, as COVID-19 cancellations put the Lions' season on pause for two weeks. Knocking the rust off was a bit of a challenge, however the Lions started the game off strong.

Both teams went back and forth in the opening frame, with each team netting 11 points in the first quarter. West Jefferson pulled away in the second quarter, relying on the scoring of Book to take a 25-20 lead into halftime.

In the second half, star Northside Christian freshman Landon Vanderwarker opened the third quarter with back to back scores off the bounce. The 6-foot-6 freshman had 10 points through two and a half quarters, however, he picked up two fouls on a single possession, sending him out of the game with four fouls and Northside Christian trailing 31-27.

West Jefferson punished the Lions once Vanderwarker went out, finishing the quarter on a 9-2 run to extend its lead to double digits at 40-29.

In the final frame, Vanderwarker returned only momentarily, picking up his fifth foul pretty quickly, which all but ended any chance of a Northside Christian comeback.

Book was the most dominant player on the floor for 32 minutes, finishing the game with 22 points and 11 rebounds. The 6-foot-3 senior had his way offensively and helped West Jefferson pick up another quality win.

Junior guard Ethan Hostetler added nine points and three assists for the Roughriders, while sophomore Mason Book and senior Tyler Buescher each finished with six points.

West Jefferson will look to win their sixth game in seven tries when they host Ridgedale on Thursday. The Roughriders are a veteran group that plays quality team ball, as they've held every opponent but two to under 50 points this season. 

For Northside Christian, Vanderwarker led the way with 10 points and came just one rebound shy of a double-double. The talent is there for Vanderwarker, who is among the top 10 players in the area in scoring this season.

Playing in his first game with the program, junior guard Diamauntae Jackson added seven points for the Lions. Senior post William Kasvosue added seven points and six rebounds, while no other Lion added more than six points. 

Northside Christian will look to get back on the winning side of things when they head to Tree of Life of Jan. 7 to resume MOCAL play. A win for the Lions would help them climb to .500 in league play. 

MJ Book (6'3 SG / West Jefferson / 2022): Book is a veteran player for the Roughriders who has been productive for the last three seasons. The 6-foot-3 senior has enjoyed a very strong start to his final campaign, averaging 16.8 points per game, with his 22 on Tuesday being a season-high. Book can really attack the basket where he finished consistently on the night. The senior knocked in two threes and was a force on the glass, leading the game in rebounds with 11. The Roughriders produced a quality college player in Ben Casey two years ago, who is one of the best players on the Ohio Christian roster. Book is another college-ready player who would be a great look for regional small college programs. 

Landon Vanderwarker (6'6 dual forward / Northside Christian / 2025): Scoring 154 points in his first seven games, Vanderwarker has been one of the most productive players in all of the area, but especially among freshmen. The 6-foot-6 dual forward has legitimate guard skills, as he did almost all of his damage attacking from the wing. The freshman is a talented lefty scorer that was relentless attacking on baseline drives where he finished strongly against the defense. While we didn't see him knock down any jumpers on Tuesday, that's a part of his game that we know he is capable in and will help his stock continue to rise. Vanderwarker has great handling coordination for his size, as he moves extremely well and plays with great purpose. While foul trouble kept him out of the game and eventually sent him to the bench for good, we saw enough of Vanderwarker to believe that he has Division I potential. We would like to see him use his size and play inside-out a little more, however, with the guard skills and natural talent that he possesses at 6-foot-6, Vanderwarker is a young prospect in the Division IV ranks that everyone in the area should keep an eye on. This could be a kid who scores 2,000 points in his high school career. 

Mason Book (6'2 SG / West Jefferson / 2024): The sophomore Book is a young player with some promise for West Jefferson. He has quality size at 6-foot-2 and natural ability much like his older brother. Book was the Roughriders' secondary point guard, showing versatility on the offensive end. With his West Jefferson team having a great deal of veteran players, Book will be the guy to help lead the program into the future over the next few years. Keep an eye on this sophomore guard, as both he and his brother possess college basketball potential. 

Diamauntae Jackson (5'9 PG / Northside Christian / 2023): Playing in his first game with Northside Christian since enrolling at the school this month, Jackson was an instant boost of offense off the bench. While he did not start the game, he played every single minute once he stepped on the floor, as the athletic junior guard does things that nobody else on the roster can do. Jackson scored on a baseline drive and baseline pull up to start the game, but was unable to convert from the field after that. We really enjoyed watching him compete on the defensive perimeter, as he is a physical and quick guard who can really pressure the ball. Jackson is an extremely high character young man that attended every single week of our Hoops and Hope Bible study, growing leaps and bounds in his relationship with Christ. We love this young man, as he has been an encourager to this writer all season long, keeping contact and sharing in fellowship. In addition to his excellence off the court, Jackson is a high-level athlete with college potential. Improvement to his jump shooting mechanics will help him take his game to the next level, as he has the toughness, leadership and energy part figured out already.