COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In one of the biggest games in the area on Friday night, Bishop Ready (15-3, 5-2) defended home court against Bishop Watterson (12-6, 5-2) with a 53-45 win that forced a tie atop the Central Catholic League standings.

Receiving a combined 39 points from Troy Hixson, Luke Ruth and Kaleb Schaffer, the Silver Knights used a total team effort to pick up a win in front of a packed crowd.

Coming out of the gates on fire, Hixson started off the game with a steal leading to an easy score and forced a Bishop Watterson timeout with 4:22 left in the first after nailing a three-pointer from the top of the key to give Bishop Ready an 8-3 lead early on.

Bishop Watterson junior Owen Samenuk quickly responded, nailing two three's and a jumper from the mid-range to help the Eagles regain the momentum and take a 13-12 lead into the second frame.

Continuing to build on this momentum, Bishop Watterson increased their lead to 22-17 with 3:22 left in the first half after Seven Scott converted on a tough finish inside.

Ready's trio of Ruth, Schaffer and Hixson each converted on one field goal of their own to end the half, outscoring Bishop Watterson 6-2 in the final few minutes of the second to trim the score to 24-23 at the break.

Regaining the lead in the third quarter, Bishop Ready led 35-31 late in the frame following a three from Schaffer before Gilbert Oduro converted on a patient finish inside to trim the deficit to two for Watterson heading into the final eight minutes of play.

After Schaffer nailed another triple to open up the fourth, Bishop Watterson responded with a 6-0 run behind an and-one from Oduro and a three-pointer from Charlie Lewis that gave them 39-38 lead with 5:55 left to go.

Converting on some clutch free throws late and turning over Bishop Watterson on some important possessions, Ready regained control of the game for the last five minutes.

Following a triple from Hixson to give the Silver Knights a three-point lead late, they received some important contributions at the free-throw line to create some separation in the final minutes and come out on top.

They were led by 17 points from Hixson while Ruth added 12 of his own and Schaffer contributed 10.

For Bishop Watterson, Lewis led the way with 12 points while Samenuk scored nine and Cole Rhett chipped in with eight of his own.

Tied for first place in the CCL, each of these teams have one league game left to play to decide whether there will be an outright winner or a share of the title as Bishop Ready will host Bishop Hartley next Friday and Bishop Watterson will host DeSales.

Troy Hixson (6'1 SG / Bishop Ready / 2022): Hixson was arguably the most impactful player on the floor on Friday night, making a handful of winning plays for Bishop Ready on both ends of the floor and leading all scorers with 17 points. Nailing three shots from beyond the arc, Hixson showed off his quick release and pretty stroke on multiple occasions. He also got inside for a tough floater, ran the floor for a couple of finishes and started the game off with a steal and score on the first possession after jumping the passing lanes. While Bishop Ready's junior trio of Ruth, Schaffer and Charlie Russell get a lot of the shine, Hixson is just as crucial to their success as he offers them value on both ends of the floor.

Luke Ruth (6'2 HG / Bishop Ready / 2023): Ruth turned in a really solid performance for Bishop Ready on both ends of the floor on Friday night. The junior guard got was deceptive in getting inside for a couple of tough finishes, one of which was an and-one, and also knocked down a tough mid-range jumper off the dribble. At 6-foot-2, Ruth has a good build at the guard spot and has somewhat sneaky athleticism as he came up with two big blocks on the defensive end for Ready during the contest. He had a couple of impressive passes as well, most notably two outlet passes leading to easy scores in transition. We are big fans of Ruth and are excited to see what he can do for Bishop Ready in the tournament as his game has really began to come along this season. He offers a lot of valuable traits at the guard spot and knows how to run a team.

Charlie Lewis (6'0 HG / Bishop Watterson / 2022): Lewis was the most consistent option for Bishop Watterson on the offensive end all night on Friday as he finished with a team-high 12 points in the game. Lewis scored most of his buckets in impressive ways. He got inside for a left-handed and-one, knocked down two mid-range jumpers and also nailed a three from the top of the key. Like most Bishop Watterson guards typically do, Lewis has a good understanding of the game and does not let opposing defenses speed him up. He will be a big key to Bishop Watterson defending their district title in Division II as he will be counted on to take care of the ball, make timely shots and run the offense.

Kaleb Schaffer (6'5 SF / Bishop Ready / 2022): Schaffer came up with a few big time buckets for Bishop Ready on Friday night as he knocked down a pair of triples in the second half to go along with a mid-range jumper from the short corner and a patient finish inside. Schaffer is an interesting prospect at 6-foot-5 as he is a knockdown shooter from beyond the arc, has great size, doesn't force things and has a solid understanding of the game. He was active on the glass all night for Bishop Ready and blocked a shot as well. Scholarship programs in the region should keep an eye on Schaffer moving forward as he is one of the more well-rounded wings in the area in the 2023 class.