GAHANNA, Ohio -- In one of the more intriguing games in Columbus on Friday night, Gahanna held off a late rally from Grove City to take down the Greyhounds 55-44 and move to 4-0 in OCC-Ohio play.

After Grove City executed a long opening possession that led to a pullup jumper from the short corner from senior Daniel Fetty to take a 2-0 lead, Gahanna quickly answered, using a floater from Luke Murry and a wing three from Maurice Charlton to gain an early lead that they never relinquished.

Putting the Lions ahead 13-9 after the first frame, Murry nailed a triple from the corner at the buzzer off a great inbounds play to extend the Gahanna lead.

After a pair of scores from Grove City junior Kraig Gilbert early in the second, Gahanna ended the half on fire, taking a 30-16 lead into the locker room at halftime and seemingly having all of the momentum.

However, Grove City did not waver, opening up the second half playing like a team who knew that they could still win this game.

Putting together an 8-1 run to open the second half, Grove City trimmed the Gahanna lead to 31-24 with 4:47 left in the third, a difference that held strong throughout the rest of the frame as the Lions led 37-30 heading into the fourth.

Despite Grove City continuing to fight in the fourth, Gahanna answered every punch, using big three pointers from Murry and KJ Reynald as well as an emphatic dunk from Brandon Ivery compiled with clutch free throw shooting to seal the deal in the win.

Falling to 1-3 in OCC-Ohio play following the loss, Grove City looks to bounce back next Tuesday when they travel to Hilliard Davidson. The Greyhounds have a talented core and the ability to make some noise throughout the rest of the season if they can put it all together.

Despite losing nearly every contributor from last year's regional runner-up squad, Gahanna is back in business this season, moving to 4-0 in OCC-Ohio play following the win.

After taking on Walnut Ridge at The Challenge at Pickerington North tomorrow, the Lions will host Reynoldsburg on Tuesday before traveling to Pickerington North next Friday in a battle for first place in the league.

Now, lets take a look at 5 Keys to Friday night's contest.

5 Keys

1. Late Game Answers: Despite Grove City clawing away in the third and making some tough shots in the final quarter, Gahanna seemed to answer every big shot from the Greyhounds with one of their own, steadily keeping them ahead late in the game.
2. Composed Guard Play: Led by junior KJ Reynald, Gahanna's guards put together a solid showing on Tuesday night, operating efficiently on the offensive end and limiting turnovers as well.
3. Three Point Shooting: While Grove City hit some threes in the second half, Gahanna was locked in from deep all night long, with at least five different players knocking down shots from beyond the arc including a few clutch triples late from Reynald and Murry.
4. Free Throw Shooting: While Grove City kept themselves in the game late, Gahanna steadily held onto the lead and gave themselves the opportunity to seal the game at the charity stirpe. The Lions did just that, putting the stamp on Friday night's victory as soon as Grove City was forced to start fouling.
5. Early Separation: Ultimately, Gahanna taking a 14 point lead into the halftime break proved to be pivotal in this game. Both teams game into the contest pretty evenly matched in our eyes, which proved to be true in the second half, however, Gahanna's halftime lead gave them enough cushion to remain ahead throughout the final 16 minutes and come out on top.