NEWARK, Ohio -- In Tuesday's non-conference battle between undefeated No. 3 Newark and undefeated No. 5 Reynoldsburg, it seemed as if the host Wildcats were to awaken with just a few shots. A few shots and then some is what the doctor ordered as Newark erased a 10-point deficit midway through the third quarter, taking down Reynoldsburg, 64-60.

It was an 18-5 run in the final 5:24 of the third quarter that proved to be the difference, as Newark found life behind senior role players Kobe Long-Weber and Justin Carter, who hit back-to-back threes to spark the Wildcat run after Reynoldsburg took a 38-28 lead.

Heading into the fourth quarter with a 46-43 lead, Newark would extend its advantage to as much as six points, but Reynoldsburg would not give up. Responding with a 6-0 run of its own to tie Tuesday's game at 49 with 6:27 to go, the Raiders looked to be in business.

Newark super senior BJ Duling would respond, as a man-sized And-1 score gave the Wildcats a 52-49 lead. Moments later, Newark would take a 58-54 lead off two free throws from senior guard Hunter Dennison with 3:09 to go. 

Newark would not score for another two minutes and 39 seconds, as Reynoldsburg clawed back to tie the game at 58 after senior guard KJ Walker knocked down one of two attempts at the line.

The Wildcats next bucket would come from junior forward JT Shumate, whose baseline jumper gave Newark a 60-58 lead with 31 seconds to go. Reynoldsburg would fail to score on the next possession, as sophomore guard Ben Fort missed a would-be go-ahead three.

Newark would close it out behind clutch free throw shooting, improving to 6-0, while Reynoldsburg falls to 5-1.

The key to Newark's win was Duling, who finished with 22 points and six rebounds. Duling scored Newark's first eight points and accounted for 13 in the first half alone. While Duling was dominant in the first half, Newark needed its supporting cast in order to pull off the tough win.

That help would come from senior wing Jakim Murphy, who scored 12 points off the bench, including eight points in Newark's surge. Murphy's athleticism on both ends played a big factor, as the 6-foot-3 guard was able to finish several tough finishes inside, in addition to two electric slams in transition. Dennison added nine points, while Shumate added eight, with no two bigger than his go-ahead mid-range jumper. 

Carter and Long-Weber combined for eight points, but sparked the third quarter rally for Newark by knocking down two clutch threes on back-to-back trips. 

For Reynoldsburg, Walker led the Raiders with 12 points, playing excellently on both ends and hitting two threes. Fort added 10 points, while junior guard Elijah Thurston came off the bench to add 10 points of his own. 

Senior wing Reece Strohm finished with seven points, but struggled to convert from behind-the-arc, which is usually his strong suit. Junior wing Tre Williams added six points and six rebounds, while junior guard Jamiel Goliday added six off the bench.

With the win, Newark is off until next week, when it hosts its holiday tournament on Dec. 28. For Reynoldsburg, the Raiders will have to rebound quickly, as they head on the road on Friday to take on Dublin Coffman.