WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- Tip-off was way after regular school hours, but just two minutes into Tuesday night's game against Big Walnut, Westerville South put on a clinic that delivered a 75-46 victory and provided a prime lesson in Team Basketball 101.

Big Walnut scored the first basket of the game, a three-pointer from Ryan Tripp, but once South took a 4-3 lead off a Drey Carter lay-in, the Wildcats signaled they would exemplify and execute an efficient brand of team play that's kept their undefeated win streak alive. 

Between forced steals that led to open space lay-ins and the unselfish nature of making the extra pass against Big Walnut's zone defense, Westerville South assisted on their first eight made field goals as eight total players would score not even halfway through the second quarter. A steal and breakaway dunk from Carter snapped the assist streak, but was still attributed to a defensive pressure that clearly overwhelmed the Eagles, particularly in the first half.

South's lead would extend into the 20s, yet Big Walnut would get some offensive consistency from its two senior guards, Ryan Tripp and Carter Imertreijs. The duo would account for 15 of the Eagles 16 third quarter points and at one point had South's lead down to 13. Yet the Wildcats would continue to respond, most notably from senior Reign Winston who had nine of his team high 14 points in the period, capped by a corner buzzer beater three.

South would have no problem extending their lead into the final period, which allowed for the reserves to get a piece of the shared action. Eleven total players recorded a score, with balanced production as five players scored eight or more points. The spread offensive wealth was done in part by the great team ball movement as 21 assists were recorded on 29 made field goal attempts.  

Junior guard Jadi Cunningham Jr. generated six of those assists, a team high, followed by Carter and senior Isaiah Johnson, who each had four. Those two would also be South's next top two scorers, at 10 and 13 points, respectively. 

Senior Andy Badu was long and active in the paint, as he finished with nine points and led the team with six rebounds. Freshman Kruz McClure also saw strong minutes and finished with five points and two assists.

Big Walnut received quality production from Tripp and Imertreijs, who finished with 14 and 13 points respectively, and did so with some solid outside shooting, as both scored on two triples a piece. Sophomore Garrett Stover showed nice physicality with his eight point effort, while fellow sophomore Trent Minor led the team with six rebounds and added five points. Senior center Will Baden finished with five points along with two blocks.

The Eagles (7-8, 4-5) will look to move past this performance quickly and have an opportunity to get back to .500 when they travel to conference foe Franklin Heights on Friday. 

Westerville South (15-0, 9-0) will make the short travel on Friday to rival Westerville North, as they look to make a clean season sweep against the Warriors. As the regular season begins to reach the final gear, it's reasonable to conclude the Wildcats have a legitimate chance to enter tournament play undefeated. While an Ed Calo coached team will always respect their opponent, a performance like Tuesday leaves an impression that the Wildcats are consistently challenging themselves, putting an emphasis on getting better than the day before. 

Perhaps South has not received as much attention as their top ranked counterparts,  but the Wildcats are developing into a well-rounded, unselfish team. When paired with a next-level talent like Carter, that type of team can be difficult to beat come March.

While we could highlight nearly all of Westerville South's players on Tuesday, read about the top performers below in the Prospect Scouting Report.  Although Carter, a Wright State commit, had a stellar performance, we'll check in with seniors currently unsigned or without an offer.

Isaiah Johnson (6'5 SF / Westerville South / 2022) On a night where seemingly every Westerville South player made a difference, Johnson's motor and athleticism still stood out as he had the best all-around game out of any Wildcat. The senior forward was ACTIVE and appeared to be involved in nearly each play, recording 13 points and four assists. At six-foot-five, Johnson offers nice length and is a solid finisher. As the Westerville South roster prepares for tournament mode, Johnson will be the x-factor type of player that can help determine how far the Wildcats can go.

Andy Badu (6'5 SF / Westerville South / 2022) It's hard to not enjoy watching Badu play. While he may still be scratching the surface towards developing a complete skillset, his energy and bounce makes him a valuable interior asset for the Wildcats. Badu finished with nine points and led the team with six rebounds, and also added a steal, block and an assist. He only scored on two field goals, but did a great job of earning trips to free throw line, where he made five of six attempts. What's most enjoyable about Badu is he seems to truly enjoy being on the court and do whatever he's asked to help his team win. 

Reign Winston (6'4 SF / Westerville South / 2022) With an appropriate first name, Winston indeed let it rain on Tuesday as he led his team with 14 points that included two triples. Winston and his offensive talent has developed nicely for South, as he's averaging over 12 points per game, second behind Carter. On Tuesday, Winston not only showed off an ability to shoot well from mid and long range distance, but also get ahead of the defense on fast break opportunities. The senior has nice size that compliments a jumper that is showing consistency and making Westerville South that much more of a dangerous team.

Will Baden (6'10 C / Big Walnut / 2022) While Tuesday night was not necessarily a dominant performance from Baden, the senior big showed a size and ability to run the floor that's unique to find and worth putting on college coaches radar. The six-foot-ten center is lean, but moves well and has decent athleticism for his size. Defensively, he spent a lot of time playing zone defense along the perimeter, showing good lateral movement. His best play of the night came on a clean rejection against Carter that caught the Wright State commit a bit off guard. Against South, he could have challenged for rebounds a bit more aggressively, but ultimately played with a solid effort. Regional college coaches that are confident in developing their players and could use some size should take a look at the Big Walnut big man.