COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Friday night's second game of action that featured #1 Africentric against #2 Bishop Ready lived up to every bit of hype a top seeded seeded district final should come to expect. After Bishop Ready held a ten point halftime lead, Africentric used an all-star performance from junior Dailyn Swain and a lockdown team defensive effort to power back with a 56-53 victory over Bishop Ready. The win gives the Nubians their first district title since 2018 and tenth of all-time. 

It took every second of game action for the Nubians to put away a tenacious Silver Knights squad. With a three point lead in hand, Africentric sophomore Laron Fuller, who had a championship level defensive effort in the second half, missed two free throws with 25 seconds which gave Bishop Ready a final look. The Silver Knights would get two open opportunities from beyond the arc, but failed to convert as Swain grabbed a defense rebound, his 11th overall, as time expired.

Considered a top 100 recruit nationally in the 2023 class, Swain delivered a simply spectacular performance that was reminiscent of his dominant second half comeback against Beechcroft in the City League championship. The 6-foot-8 wing at times was simply unguardable, especially in the second half where he scored 16 of his game high 24 points.  After Bishop Ready did a worthy job of preventing Swain from much production in the half court offense early on, Swain wisely adjusted and started to attack off the dribble, effectively getting to and finishing around the rim.

While the Nubians struggled with outside shooting, their defense was the ultimate catalyst that sparked their second half comeback. Swain utilized his athleticism and length as an effective clog in passing lanes and against Ready's ball-handlers. He was joined by players such as Fuller, who came off the bench and put in a bulldog effort guarding Bishop Ready's point guard Luke Ruth, a second team all-district selection. Fellow guard, senior Dan Wagner, helped create turnovers of his own scored eight of his nine points in the second half. Fuller finished with seven points and three steals. 

The Nubians received quality production from the rest of their starting lineup. Senior Josiah Smith scored seven points, including a significant three pointer midway through the fourth quarter and was also a force defensively and on the boards, as he finished with six rebounds. Juniors Dyson Bibins and Preston Steele both had moments that gave the Nubians positive momentum and finished with five and four points, respectively. 

Swain finished with a loaded stat sheet, as he added five assists and three steals to his double-double 24 point, 11 rebound performance. With offers from schools such as Ohio State, Virginia Tech and Marquette, Swain's fantastic ball-handling and great quickness for his size was especially noticeable. 

Even in defeat, Bishop Ready put in an effort worthy of a district title of its own, but ultimately failed to get much offensive production from the field in the final minutes. That doesn't take away from their admirable effort and team play that challenged the top-seeded Nubians until the last second. 

The Silver Knights got solid outside shooting from junior Charlie Russell and senior Troy Hixson, who finished with 15 and 12 points respectively. Hixson, the only senior who saw the court for Ready, hit all three of his triples in the first half and picked off two steals in the second half. 

Ruth finished with 11 points and six assists and was particularly dominant in the first half, as he had excellent control of the offense and was able to get to most of his spots. Junior Kaleb Schaffer put in a passionate effort as he fought hard for his nine points and team high six rebounds. 

After the defeat, the Silver Knights' emotions showed evidence of a team that put in every bit of energy they had, as well as a certain closeness and bond for one another. With only one starter graduating, the fact that a majority of Ready's production will return should make them favorites to repeat as champions of the Central Catholic League and compete for a district title and beyond next season.

Meanwhile, the Nubians are focused on going beyond a district title in the present. It's all been according to plan for a team that envisioned a similar playoff run last year, before COVID-19  abruptly ended their postseason. They'll play in the regional semifinals this Wednesday against Fairland at 6 p.m. in Athens.