COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Grove City and Gahanna Lincoln met on Friday night with OCC Ohio title hopes on the line, the winner taking the crown. The Lions prevailed to win their fourth straight OCC Ohio championship by a score of 59-52 thanks to dominant performances from seniors Clarke Jackson and Laila Marshall and an offensive outburst by sophomore Payton Bethea in the fourth quarter. 

The first quarter was everything that a fan could ask for in a championship game. Jackson opened things up with a basket within the first ten seconds and things were off to the races. Thea Palmore quickly answered for the Greyhounds, tying the game. Marshall rattled off four straight points but Addy Hansen quickly responded for GC.

In the middle of the quarter, the Lions rattled off six straight points including four from Marshall, to push their lead to eight. Grove City came storming back with a 9-0 run of their own to take a one point lead, their first lead of the game, heading into the second quarter. The run was highlighted by four points from Kayla Jones and three from Hansen. After one period, the Greyhounds led 13-12.  

The second quarter featured a style very similar to the first, both teams trading baskets until the buzzer. Senior Emily Marzetz drained a three to regain the lead for the Lions but Gianna Boyce answered with a three of her own. Jackson scored for consecutive points but the run was halted thanks to a bucket by Leah Boswell.

Marshall added a basket, pushing the Gahanna lead to three just before Grove City took over again. A free throw by Carly Turner started the run. Palmore converted on a layup and G. Boyce and Cayden Wagner hit back to back threes to push the Greyhound lead to six. 

When attacking the basket, Marshall drew a foul on Palmore, her third of the game, and Marshall sank one of two attempts to stop the run. Jackson and Marshall combined for four more points to end the quarter and cut the lead to one by a score of 27-26. 

Marshall picked up with where she left off in the second half, making a layup to regain the lead for the Lions. Gahanna held the lead until just over three minutes remaining in the period when Jones made a layup to push Grove City to a two point lead. Marshall immediately answered, Jackson added a layup and Marshall sank one more basket off of an assist from Jackson. 

G. Boyce sank her second three of the game to cut the lead to one but Marzetz rained a three of her own, pushing the lead to four at the end of the period. The Lions were one quarter away from an OCC title and were leading 42-38. 

Freshman Haedyn Hull opened the fourth quarter with a three pointer and Jones quickly answered with a two. Bethea made her first basket of the game to push the lead to seven but Hansen drained a three to cut the lead yet again. Another basket by Bethea extended the Lions lead to six (49-43_). Palmore answered for the Greyhounds but Bethea sank a dagger from three which was almost certainly the last nail in the coffin. 

Marshall scored two points and on the next possession took a charge on defense, completely deflating Grove City. Another two by Jackson extended the lead to 11 but Hanson drained two free throws to stop the bleeding. The Lions made three of four free throw attempts down the stretch to seal the game and come out on top with a 59-52 win to capture the OCC Ohio crown. 

Marshall led the Lions with 22 and Jackson added 16. Jones paced Grove City with 12 and Hanson added 10.

5 Keys

1. Distribution: Clarke Jackson passed the ball incredibly well on Friday night, tallying at least six assists. She got her teammates open and got her open teammates the ball at the right time. As a whole, the Gahanna team passed the ball efficiently and they didn't care who scored. 

2. Seniors + Home Court Advantage: Marshall, Jackson and Marzetz played great games for the Lions. The senior class won four league titles and certainly left their mark on the program. The emotions of senior night and wanting to leave your home court a winner certainly played into this one and plain and simple, playing at home on Friday gave Gahanna the upper hand. The gym was loud which added to the intensity of the game.

3. Experience: The seniors for Gahanna are well versed in big games. They played poised the entire time and didn't let the emotion of the situation get to them. They settled the rest of the team down and got the job done. 

4. Pressure defense: Grove City was without one of their top ball handlers and Gahanna made sure they pressured the ball all game long. Hull, Jackson and Leshae Berry played big roles in this game plan and successfully pestered ball handlers all night. 

5. Free Throws: I swear I write this every article but it has made a difference in every game. Gahanna shot 10/17 from the line on the night and Grove city shot 4/8. The team who got to the foul line more often and converted at a higher percentage won the game. 

MVP: Laila Marshall (2023 / Gahanna Lincoln / Guard), Clarke Jackson (2023 / Gahanna Lincoln / Guard)

Top Scorer: Laila Marshall (2023 / Gahanna Lincoln / Guard)

Hustle Players: Haedyn Hull (2026 / Gahanna Lincoln / Guard), Kayla Jones (2023 / Grove City / Guard)