Northland wing Jejuan Weatherspoon
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In the most anticipated Columbus City League North division matchup since 2014, Northland was not ready for a changing of the guard on a league it has dominated for a decade. The Vikings would not be denied in a 73-60 win over Beechcroft on Tuesday, riding junior wing Jejuan Weatherspoon's game-high 27 points.
Despite an 8-0 start for Beechcroft to open the game, Northland would not be rattled. Responding with a 17-3 run to end the first quarter, Northland led by six after the first frame. Beechcroft would battle back in the second quarter, tying the game at 27 with 2:09 to go. Northland would again respond, rattling off a 7-3 run in the final two minutes, heading into halftime with a 34-30 advantage.
In the fourth, Northland would hold off several Beechcroft mini-runs, riding senior transfer KeShawn Underwood, who enrolled at Northland in the last few weeks, as Underwood's inside score with 53 seconds in the quarter put the Vikings ahead 47-40. Beechcroft would creep back in the final minute, trailing 47-43 after three.
In an exciting fourth quarter, Beechcroft would have a chance to take a lead. Trailing 50-49 early on in the fourth, Beechcroft sophomore post Naelle Simmons had a chance to give the Cougars a lead at the line. However, Simmons would miss both at the stripe, as Northland responded with a 5-0 run, topped off by a clutch three from Underwood which put the Vikings ahead 55-49 with 4:39 to go.
Beechcroft would fight back again, climbing to as close as 55-54 with 3:15 to go after two clutch free throws from junior guard Datrey Long. Much like the rest of the game, Northland took Beechcroft's toughest punch and responded, as Weatherspoon knocked down a big three, followed by an inside score from Underwood, which gave the Vikings a 60-54 lead with just over two minutes to play.
The dagger would come moments later, as Northland senior guard Rico Robinson buried a three from the left wing, giving the Vikings a 63-54 lead with less than two minutes to play.
Beechcroft would not get any closer than nine for the rest of the game, as Weatherspoon knocked down clutch free throws to deliver a 13-point win for the Vikings.
Leading Northland with 27 points, Weatherspoon was effective all night, coming out aggressive and giving the Vikings the primary scoring it needed. Adding nine rebounds to his stat line, Weatherspoon was dominant on all sides of the ball in a career-high scoring performance.
Nearly as important was Underwood, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds in his first game with the Vikings. Coming over from Zanesville, the 6-foot-3 senior wing provided the veteran leadership that Northland needed to pull off a tough win against a talented Beechcroft team.
Outside of Weatherspoon and Underwood, senior guard Brandon Waugh added 10 points and six assists, providing for steady ball-handling when he wasn't battling foul trouble in the second half. Robinson added eight points off the bench, while senior post Quentin Jones finished with six points and six rebounds.
For Beechcroft, Long led the way with 16 points, but battled foul trouble for stretches in the second half. Without a true point guard on the floor for the majority of the night, Beechcroft failed to take care of the ball, as Northland forced 15 steals.
With four players in double-figures, junior forward Therron Jennings added 13 points and four rebounds, while his brother and junior forward Teon Jennings played an excellent game, adding 12 points, 13 rebounds, four assists and two steals. Teon Jennings was Beechcroft's most consistent player on the night, giving the Cougars a big boost on both ends of the floor.
Junior combo guard Jelani Simmons added 12 points, but did not hit the outside shots that he is usually capable of on Tuesday. Sophomore post Naelle Simmons added six points, as Beechcroft had just one bench point on the night.
With the win, Northland resumed its dominance in the City North, quieting an offseason's worth of talk and chatter from Beechcroft. The Vikings return to the floor on Friday vs. Whetstone.
For Beechcroft, the Cougars are still a threat in the City North, as they can still win a division title if they are to beat Northland in the next meeting, while remaining unbeaten against the rest of the division. The Cougars return to the floor on Friday vs. Centennial.