HILLIARD, Ohio -- Upper Arlington and Hilliard Darby squared off in a big time cross-divisional OCC matchup on Tuesday night. The Golden Bears picked up their 11th win of the season thanks to some late game heroics by senior Ceylone Brooks. She sealed the UA victory with four straight free throws en route to a 49-45 final score. 

With exactly one minute remaining in the game, senior Greta Lenhart drained a three pointer to tie the game at 45. On the ensuing Panthers' possession, sophomore Gianna Lane drove to the basket and missed a contested layup. Lane gathered the offensive rebound and attempted to pass to an open teammate but the ball flew out of bounds. 

After the turnover, Upper Arlington maintained possession and managed to run 45 seconds off of the clock. The Golden Bears nearly turned the ball over but secured a timeout with 0:15 remaining in the game. After some brief chaos, UA held possession under their own basket with just over four seconds left in the contest. 

On the inbound, Brooks gathered the ball, went up for a layup and was fouled. With ice in her veins, she sank both attempts, giving UA a 47-45 lead. After a timeout, Darby attempted to unbound the ball but the pass was intercepted by Brooks who was immediately fouled with two seconds remaining in the game. Yet again, Brooks drained both free throws, pushing the score to 49-45. The Panthers final attempt to score fell short as the buzzer sounded. 

The fourth quarter was quite a fast paced game compared to the first three quarters. Darby seniors Ashley Powers kicked off the game with a layup and Ashley Cox added a three. The Panthers held UA scoreless until the 5:20 mark of the first quarter when Brooks made a two point basket. 

Both teams traded baskets in the middle of the quarter but a three by Lenhart gave the Golden Bears their first lead of the game. A basket by Brooks expanded the UA lead to three but a quick answer by Cox closed the scoring gap. Upper Arlington went into the second quarter with a narrow 12-11 lead. 

UA and Darby struggled to score to start the second quarter. Upper Arlington freshman Elizabeth Hunt opened things up with a single free throw at the 5:41 mark. The Panthers did not score until there was 4:27 remaining in the quarter thanks to two free throws by Cox. 

With just over three minutes left in the second, Lane made a layup tying the game at 16. E. Hunt converted a basket before the Darby offense came to life. First, Cox drained a three pointer. Then, junior Payten Bruns sank two free throws and Lane drained two more free throws. The Panthers finished the quarter on a 7-0 run to take a 23-18 lead heading into halftime. 

The third quarter saw scoring much faster and frequently than the first and second. Senior Bella Heaton started the barrage for Darby with a layup and both teams never looked back. After trading baskets for the majority of the quarter, the Golden Bears used a 8-2 run to pull within one point (31-30). Lenhart knocked down a three pointer to cap off the run but Heaton answered on the next possession for the Panthers with a three of her own. Lane converted inside the paint for another two points and was answered by sophomore Ava Harrigan who managed to cut the lead to four heading into the final period (36-32). 

Darby held a five point lead for the good majority of the fourth quarter but were answered every time they scored. Sophomore Tatum Thrush scored five points in the frame to keep Upper Arlington within striking distance. A three by E. Hunt pulled the game within two points and Brooks drained two free throws to tie the game at 42. Heaton sank her final three pointer of the game, giving the Panthers a 45-42 lead with just over a minute to play. 

A three by Lenhart tied the game at 45 and the Golden Bears made four free throws in the final five seconds of the game to come away with a 49-45 victory. 

Brooks and E. Hunt led the Golden Bears with 12 points each. Buttermore and Lenhart added nine each. For Darby, Cox led with 12 points and Lane and Powers added 10 each.

1. Defensive Anticipation: Amidst an offensive struggle in the first half, the Golden Bears’ defense gave them some extra life. Specifically, the next level anticipation provided by junior Quinn Buttermore. On top and in the middle of UA’s press, Buttermore wreaked havoc on Darby’s passing. She intercepted several passes and tipped a handful. Her abilities changed how the Panthers passed which impacted the rest of the game. 

2. Clutch Free Throws: Upper Arlington shot 8/10 for 80% for the game from the free throw line. The most important free throws? The last four made by Brooks in the last 4 seconds of the game. Nothing is more key than free throws… especially game winning free throws. 

3. Three Pointers: The Golden Bears knocked down several timely three point baskets. E. Hunt sank one, Buttermore drained three and Lenhart added three of her own. Lenhart’s were arguably three of the biggest/most important shots of the game: one to take the lead in the first quarter, one to pull within one point in the third quarter, and one to tie the game at 45 with one minute remaining. 

4. Spreading the Floor: Thanks to hot three point shooting (see above), Upper Arlington opened up the paint late in the fourth quarter. This enabled them to get to the free throw line which ultimately, changed the game. 

5. Keeping Darby on their Toes: UA played no less than four different defenses during the game. Between presses and half court options, the Golden Bears were constantly changing things up. This kept the Panthers on their toes and they struggled to establish an offensive rhythm. 

MVP: Ceylone Brooks (2023 / Upper Arlington / Guard)

Top Scorer: Ceylone Brooks (2023 / Upper Arlington / Guard), Elizabeth Hunt (2026 / Upper Arlington / Forward), Ashley Cox (2023 / Hilliard Darby / 2023) - 12 each

Hustle Player: Quinn Buttermore (2024 / Upper Arlington / Guard)