MARYSVILLE, Ohio -- The youth movement of Marysville basketball was alive and active once again on Saturday, as sophomores Jason Moore and Ryker Bowden each had career-high scoring nights to lead the Monarchs (6-10) over Marion Harding (9-7), 65-60.

The win for Marysville is huge for seeding purposes with the Central District tournament draw a week away. The Monarchs led pretty much from start to finish, jumping out to an 11-0 run. While Marion Harding responded with a 16-4 run of their own to take a 16-15 lead with 4:39 to go in the first half, Marysville bounced back in a huge way, holding the Presidents to a single bucket and taking a 28-18 lead into the locker room at half.

Moore and Bowden dominated the third quarter, powering the Monarchs offense and extending the lead to 52-35 going into the final frame.

Marion Harding went to a full court pressure defense in the fourth, which seemed to frustrate Marysville. The Presidents climbed all the way back, getting as close as four points on multiple possessions but were not able to get any closer.

Marysville held off the Presidents and were likely thankful there wasn't more time on the clock, as Marion Harding had all momentum in the late stages of the game. 

Moore led all scorers with 22 points, showing his versatile game with scoring from all over the floor. Bowden was an assassin from three and added 16 points, while junior guard Nick Wever pitched in 12.

Marysville will look to keep rolling next week with winnable home games against Central Crossing and Thomas Worthington. The Monarchs are peaking at the right time, winning three of their last four games including an upset win at OCC-Central leading Olentangy Liberty last Tuesday. Two more wins would likely vault the Monarchs into the 20's region of seeding in Division I, which is a far cry from where they were likely projected just nine days ago when they were 3-9. 

For Marion Harding, senior Wes Stokes, a Heidelberg commit, was dominant on the wing, finishing with 22 points. The senior had two steals which resulted in powerful open floor slams, as Stokes is one of the elite athletes in the area.

Fellow senior Amare Pedraza also finished in double figures with 11 points for the Presidents. 

Marion Harding will look to bounce back on Thursday when they visit River Valley in a game that is essentially a MOAC title game. River Valley holds a one game lead over the Presidents, but lost the first matchup which would give Marion Harding a tie breaker if they finished with an identical league record. The Presidents have a strong senior class and could be a team that has the potential to win a game or two in the district tournament. 

Jason Moore (6'7 hybrid big / Marysville / 2024): Buy. Stock. Now. Moore is a very unique prospect in the 2024 class that has big time college basketball written all over him. You will be hard pressed to find another underclassman big who impacts the game the way Moore does. His feel and impact on winning is extremely unique, as he plays with the type of pace and composure that you would expect to see from a guy who has played college basketball for a few years. So the fact that he is only a sophomore gives us great reason to believe that Moore has a chance to be really special. His coaches rave about his character, work ethic and humility, traits that will certainly lead to improvement. This kid is already one of the best big men in Central Ohio, regardless of class, and will only get better. Moore is the ideal modern big man with his ability to stretch the floor, attack off the bounce, make plays as a passer and switch on the perimeter. Moore reminds us a lot of Ohio University big man Jason Carter, who has enjoyed an incredible college career. Kids that are hard workers and consistently productive pan out at a higher percentage than guys who don't check both of these boxes, which makes Moore a no-brainer recruit with his consistent double-double production this season. 

Wes Stokes (6'3 SF / Marion Harding / 2022): Stokes is going to be an incredible college player at the Division III level. Heidelberg has done an excellent job identifying unique Central Ohio talent and bringing them to Tiffin, Ohio. The Student Princes have another stud in Stokes, who had one of the most impressive athletic scoring performances that we have seen all year. There is not five better athletes than Stokes in the area, as he has a unique blend of explosiveness, strength and speed which make him a tough cover. The senior is a terror in transition and is a talented downhill scorer that can absorb contact and finish at a high level. He showed the ability to stretch the floor, knocking down two threes, but was most impressive with his ability to explode to the rim and finish. In Division III basketball, having elite athletes is a major plus and Heidelberg will have one any time Stokes is on the floor. 

Ryker Bowden (6'1 hybrid guard / Marysville / 2024): Bowden played the type of game on Saturday that he is capable of on a consistent basis. The 6-foot-1 sophomore has a gunslinger's mentality on the floor, as he is not shy of making difficult passes and tough shots. He was dialed in in the second half, draining three-straight triples to help Marysville extend its lead to double digits. While his outside shooting is certainly an impressive part of his game, the most appealing part of his showing on Saturday was his passing ability. Bowden showed incredible vision and decision making, helping Marysville move the ball with great pace and patience. If Bowden can continue to grow as a passer, it will really expand his game as he is already one of the best shooters in the 2024 class. Improvement to his IQ and feel will help this underclassman become one of the best guard prospects in 2024. 

Marquis Long (6'2 SG / Marion Harding / 2024): Long is a player that we saw for the first time at the 270 Hoops Exposure Series in August. We were impressed with him then and we are impressed with him now. The 6-foot-2 sophomore is an intriguing perimeter prospect that did a really good job at getting to the rim and finishing on Saturday. Long plays hard, has a great motor and is very confident, traits that will help him continue to produce at the high school level. With Marion Harding having a solid senior class, production from talented underclassmen like Long will help this team have a chance to win a MOAC title next week.