COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the first of six games for the Play By Play Classic at Nationwide Arena, Olentangy Orange represented Central Ohio well and beat Cleveland Heights 59-50.

Playing without senior guard and lead scorer Mikey McCollum, who is sidelined with a hip injury, the Pioneers delivered a team effort, but were paced by the excellent play of senior guard Elias Lewis who finished with 22 points, along with four rebounds and three assists. 

Freshman Levi Davis added 10 points, while sophomore Devin Brown finished with nine. Senior point guard and Ashland commit Jordan Edwards led the team in rebounds and assists, with five and four respectively, and finished with five points. 

As been consistent all season, the Pioneers were effective defensively and prevented Heights from efficient outside shooting as the Tigers finished with just two made three-pointers. Lead scorer and senior guard Shemarion Hardy had 13 points in the first half, but was held to just one made free throw in the final two periods.

Coach Anthony Calo's team continues to look the part of one of the area's best teams, as the nine point victory over Heights was their first non double-digit win of the season.

The Pioneers (7-0) will look to stay undefeated when they play next at DeSales on Tuesday.

Let's now get a look at the 5 Keys Of The Game:

1. Excellent Elias: The clear MVP of the game, it was great to see the high-level performance from the senior guard on Saturday. With McCollum sidelined, Lewis is the best scoring option for the Pioneers and he delivered against an athletic Heights team. Lewis finished with a game-high 22 points and did so on eight made field goal attempts, including three from beyond the arc. Lewis is arguably one of the best unsigned seniors in the area, so to see him deliver his best game of the season on a big stage, was awesome to see. We'll highlight more of his game in the upcoming Prospect Scouting Report.

2. Make Do Without McCollum: When the senior guard went down at the end of the Dublin Jerome game less than two weeks ago, it was natural to expect a drop-off in overall production since the Pioneers were without their top scorer. In the four games since, Orange so far hasn't missed a beat and that's credit to the strong balance of the roster. You have Lewis picking up scoring duties and Edwards is one of the best passers in the state, but role players like Nick Chapman, Levi Davis and Devin Brown all have stepped up their production. Based on the results so far, the Pioneers should be able to hold it down until McCollum's return, which is hoped for some point in January. 

3. Underclassmen Watch Part Two: In the last 5 Keys that we covered Orange, I shared to keep an eye on underclassmen sophomore Devin Brown and freshman Levi Davis. Both were excellent today, combined for 19 points and continue to look the part of solid prospects. It says a lot that for a team with a strong senior class, that coach Calo has the trust to give quality minutes off the bench for the duo. These two will continue to play a major role for a team with regional championship aspirations, but will no doubt be leading the program come next season.

4. Speaking of aspirations...: Until a local team knocks off Pickerington Central, the Tigers should be considered the favorite to repeat as regional champion. That said, Orange has emerged as the most competitive, clear-cut program to challenge the Tigers in the region. The Pioneers have a variety of players that execute their roll well, defend at a high level and feature scholarship level talent. Beyond the Tigers, most other competitive area teams have struggled to truly emerge. That should make for a wide open district tournament and give the Pioneers an opportunity to have their most accomplished season in program history.

5. Heights Highlights: While most of our coverage is focused on Central Ohio, events like the Play By Play Classic provide an opportunity to evaluate other players and see how our local teams stack up against other top programs in the state. On Saturday, Heights looked the part of an athletic team, but struggled to shoot from the outside. Once the Pioneers took a double-digit lead in the third quarter, the Tigers never could come much closer to six or eight points. Senior Shemarion Hardy is quick and competitive and finished with 14 points and one assist and should have had more. Sophomore Jay'Quan Stubbs, a 6'6 forward, was hard to keep off the glass as he led with nine rebounds and finished with 12 points. 

MVP: Elias Lewis (Orange senior guard, 22 points, four rebounds and three assists)

Top Scorer: Lewis 

Hustle Player of the Game: Levi Davis (two steals)