COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In what was arguably the most anticipated match of the six games at the Play By Play Classic at Nationwide Arena, the best was saved for the end as Centerville edge Pickerington Central 60-54 in a game that needed two overtimes to be decided.

A rematch of last year's state title game, in which Central upset the previously undefeated Elks, this year's regular season version featured multiple lead changes and an exchange of clutch moments from both teams. 

Down two points and with less than 12 seconds in regulation, Central's Markell Johnson drove the length of the court and dribbled along the baseline as he found junior Juwan Turner cut to the basket and make a lay-up just before time expired to force overtime. 

The Tigers then faced a one point deficit late in the first overtime when senior and Ohio State commit Devin Royal was fouled away from the ball and given two free throw attempts. A typically strong free throw shooter, Royal went 1-of-2, which tied the game and forced a second bonus period. 

Unfortunately for Central, their offense began to run dry, Centerville was able to gain separation and the Elks ultimately sealed the game at the free throw line to put away the Tigers for good. 

Even in defeat, Royal was magnificent and had a game high 27 points along with eight rebounds. The 6'7 wing forward was perhaps the best player of the entire showcase and put on a show with spectacular dunks, efficient outside shooting and a strong aggression on both ends of the glass. 

No other Tiger scored in double figures, but Johnson put forth a more than admirable effort with nine points and a team-high three assists. Junior Braylin Wells added six points and two blocks, while Turner and senior Gavin Headings both had five points.

The Elks received an MVP effort from an unlikely candidate, 6'8 forward Dulguun "Tommy" Gankhuyag, who led Centerville with a double-double via a 14 point, 10 rebound output. On a team that has two future high-major Division I collegiate standouts, it was an unlikely break through performance as the senior hadn't scored more than seven points in a game this season.

Senior guard and Indiana commit Gabe Cupps had a relatively pedestrian performance for his standards and finished with 12 points, six of which came in the extra periods, but also added four assists. Four star junior guard Jonathan Powell had nine points, but was held scoreless after the third period. 

Senior Kyle Kenney added 11 points and seven rebounds, while fellow senior Collin O'Connor finished with eight points, which included a huge three that gave Centerville a one-point lead in the final seconds of the first overtime.

Although the stakes were not nearly high enough for the Elks to completely avenge for last season's title loss, it was clearly a monumental game that will linger until the two teams could potentially meet again in March in Dayton. 

The Tigers (5-2) will look to learn and move forward as they'll continue their high-level regular season schedule against a collection of teams at the Kingdom of the Sun event in Ocala, Florida that begins on December 27.

For a further breakdown of the game, Zach Fleer breaks down the 5 Keys To The Game.

1. Tommy Gun: Centerville has a new interior presence in the 6-foot-8 Mongolian native Tommy Dulguun. Dulguun was the biggest difference maker in the game, as his ability to impact both ends of the floor was huge. Dulguun is a physical force that rebounded extremely well, defended both in the post and especially on the wing with success and was a highly skilled offensive player that scored it on multiple levels. When the stakes are high, the best players rise to the occasion and Dulguun certainly answered the bell on Saturday. Scholarship programs at the Division I and II levels should give Dulguun a look. 

2. Balance of scoring: Devin Royal scored 27 of Pickerington Central's 54 points, as he was the only consistent source of offense for the Tigers. Central doesn't have a ton of outside shooting, which can clog the paint at times and force Royal to hit longer jump shots. This team needs its second, third and four options to play better than they did on Saturday, as Centerville was the total opposite with the balance they had offensively. If you would've told either coach that Gabe Cupps would have 12 points and Devin Royal would have 27, they likely would've chosen Pickerington Central to win. That just shows how strong the rest of the Elks roster was on Saturday. 

3. It pays to have 'guys': When you have an elite talent, pairing another elite talent alongside them allows for each player to not have to carry a significant load. Centerville has that luxury with Cupps paired up with junior Jonathan Powell. With Cupps and Powell each being highly talented scoring threats, anything you get from anyone else is just bonus, and that was the case with Dulguun's breakout showing. Pickerington Central certainly has the talent, but they'll need their top guys to be top guys when they play against elite talent. The fact that they took Centerville to double overtime with most of the roster being in an offensive funk is impressive and should be encouraging for Pickerington Central going forward. 

4. Championship grit: Saturday's game pitted the winners of the last two Division I state titles, which made the double overtime thriller a really fun game to watch. Both teams refused to lose and were not afraid to step up in important moments, that would likely break a team that has not seen the success that Centerville and Pickerington Central have. I think of moments like Connor O'Connell's big three in overtime, Juwan Turner's game-tying finish and Devin Royal's clutch game-tying free throw that show the toughness that both teams possess. 

5. High stakes environment: Watching basketball in Nationwide Arena is a luxury. Here in Columbus, we simply do not have another venue for high school basketball that matches that feel that we had on Saturday. It was impressive seeing how both teams were ready for the environment and did not back down from the bright lights. You need to have the ability to handle that type of pressure if you want to play at the highest of levels.

MVP: Tommy Dulguun (Centerville senior post)

Top Scorer: Devin Royal (Pickerington Central senior wing - 27 points)

Hustle Player of the Game: Tommy Dulguun