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District Champs: Newark upsets Olentangy Liberty to win first district title since 2019

By Mark Francis, 03/04/23, 4:00PM EST

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Wildcats use 19-2 second half run to come out on top

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the second game of the day at Ohio Dominican, Newark used an explosive fourth quarter to win a district championship and advance to the regional semi-finals by a score of 57-48 over a game Olentangy Liberty ball club.

A game that included seven lead changes ended with Newark closing the game out at the free throw line while being up as much
as 10 in the fourth quarter.

The opening quarter saw Olentangy Liberty jump out to a quick 5-0 lead on the back of a triple from senior Alex Okuley and a bucket from James Hummel.

After Steele Meister split a pair of free throws, the gritty senior guard from Newark, Grant Burkholder, hit back-to-back shots to tie
the game at five a piece.

Action began to pick up as the quarter progressed, Hummel was able to hit a jumper that was matched by Burkholder’s two free throws to the game again, this time at
seven.

Liberty stud big man Tyler Kropp came back and hit a layup to give his team a 2-point advantage as time winded down in the opening frame.

Jackson Mikola for Olentangy Liberty hit one of two free throws for a 10-7 advantage with under 30 seconds remaining.

Burkholder threw a beautiful pass to Kalin Winbush for a layup with under three seconds left on the game clock in the first to send Newark to the bench down 10-9.

Opening the second quarter was Liberty’s Jackson Mikola with a three to go up 13-9 with more than seven minutes on the clock.

Newark fought back behind some stellar play from Burkholder,
his layup and made free throw on the hoop and harm gave his Wildcats a 14-13 lead. Tyler Kropp answered with a score of his own to back up by one.

Two straight baskets from Winbush and Burkholder gave Newark an 18-15 lead before Kropp once again hit a shot to go into the
locker room with his team down 18-17.

Burkholder continued his sensational game in the third quarter, giving his team a 20-17 lead out of the gate, but, consecutive baskets from Olentangy Liberty gave them a one-point lead as this
game began to get intense.

Kropp and Mikola drained three’s one after another to get a 29-22
edge before Burkholder scored and then assisted on another basket to trail 29-26 after the third quarter.

It was the fourth quarter where Newark began to assert itself and flex their muscle. After entering the final frame down by three, the Wildcats tied it up with a three from Braylon Morris
and the floodgates opened.

A 15-2 run ensued for the Cats, highlighted by a massive block at
the rim from Steele Meister and another three from Morris.

An insane double clutched three-pointer from Liberty’s Matt Wilson gave the Patriots a fighting chance with just over three minutes remaining and them trailing 41-36.

After two free throws from Burkholder, Liberty’s Jackson Mikola hit a three to get the team down by six, 45-39 and still having a glimmer of hope left.

Newark finalized the game by hitting free throws and came out on the other side with a 57-48 win over Olentangy Liberty.

Olentangy Liberty was led in scoring by Jackson Mikola and Tyler Kropp who scored 13 points and James Hummell with 12.

Matt Wilson and Alex Okuley added three points apiece while Nick
Metzger and Evan Nelson scored a bucket as well.

Outstanding point guard Grant Burkholder led all scorers with 25, including all free throws in the final quarter.

Braylon Morris pitched in eight clutch points, Steele Meister and Kalin Winbush scored six points, Ty Gilbert and Drew Oberholtzer had four points and Austin Rose hit a basket to round out the scoring for the Wildcats.

With the 57-48 win, Newark advances to the regional semifinals.

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