PICKERINGTON, Ohio -- After its girls remained undefeated in the undercard matchup at Pickerington Central on Saturday, Newark's boys would look to do the same in the main event. In a matchup of the No. 1 Wildcats and No. 2 Tigers, Pickerington Central stopped Newark's undefeated season at 18 games, as Sterling Manley knocked down two free throws with 10 seconds remaining to push his team to a 67-66 win.

In a game where tickets were sold out nearly eight hours before the opening tip, Pickerington Central was host to an incredible environment on Saturday. A matchup of two former foes in the OCC-Ohio, the top seed in the Central District was on the line on Saturday.

Pickerington Central would control the game for most of the first three quarters, despite a brilliant scoring performance from Newark senior wing forward BJ Duling. As the rest of the Wildcat supporting cast struggled to score consistently, Duling would carry Newark with 29 points through 24 minutes, but Pickerington Central would still lead 57-51. 

In the fourth quarter, Newark would turn up the pressure as its role players began to come alive. Opening up the fourth quarter on a quick 8-4 surge, Newark would cut the Pickerington Central lead to two, at 61-59 with 4:30 remaining.

Going back and forth for the next two and a half minutes, Newark would slice the deficit in half, as Justin Carter's three-point play put the Wildcats behind 65-64 with 2:44 to go.

Stalling for the next 1:44, Pickerington Central would have a costly turnover with just under a minute remaining, giving Newark possession, trailing 65-64 with :59.7 to go. On Newark's next trip, Duling muscled his way inside for a tough score, giving the Wildcats its only lead of the second half at 66-65 with :16.8 to play.

On the final possession for Pickerington Central, sophomore guard Jeremiah Francis missed a mid-range jumper, however Manley was fouled going for a rebound underneath with just over 10 seconds to go. 

Going to the line for two free throws in front of a raucous Newark crowd, Manley calmly knocked down both at the line, putting Pickerington Central ahead 67-66. Going back to Duling on the final trip, the Kent State signee would not be able to convert, despite some contact underneath, as the clock ran out on Newark's 18-game winning streak on the final buzzer. 

Knocking off a No. 1 ranked team for the second time this season, Pickerington Central all but guarantees its spot atop the Central District tournament next Sunday. Newark, who came in at 18-0 and No. 2 in the state, will likely sit at that position to begin the tournament. 

Leading the way for Pickerington Central was the talented sophomore Francis, who dazzled his way to 21 points. Showing off his elite handle and shot-making ability, Francis knocked down several tough shots and refused to turn the ball over against tight Newark pressure. Stepping up big in every important game for Pickerington Central this season, Francis has been nothing short of amazing this year.

Manley added 18 points and 10 rebounds in a primetime matchup against the 6-foot-7 Duling. Manley was clutch when the Tigers needed it most, as he knocked down eight of nine free throws. Manley's night was highlighted by a big poster slam on Duling underneath, which nearly ripped the roof off the gym at Pickerington Central.

Outside of its talented duo, junior wing Jahvon Blevins was stellar for most of the game, adding 12 points and four rebounds. Blevins scored nine of his 12 points in a first half where Pickerington Central led 35-31.

For Newark, Duling did nearly enough to gut out a tough win on the road. Finishing with 33 points, Duling was elite as a slasher, going to the rim and finishing nearly a dozen times. In matchups against the best two big men in Ohio in Manley and Kaleb Wesson, Duling has got the best of them individually, putting up 55 points and 14 rebounds in those games.

Outside of Duling, Carter added 11 points, playing solid basketball on both ends for most of the night. Senior guard Kobe Long-Weber added eight points and four rebounds, while senior wing Jakim Murphy added seven points off the bench. Battling foul trouble for most of the game, junior wing and second-leading scorer JT Shumate finished with five points. 

Picking up its best win of the season, Pickerington Central resumes its place atop Central Ohio, as the Tigers improve to 17-2, with wins over No. 1 Newark, No. 4 Reynoldsburg, No. 6 Northland, No. 7 Westerville South and No. 8 Groveport. When Francis and Manley are playing at the level they were at on Saturday, Pickerington Central will be a tough out for anyone in Ohio.

Newark falls to 18-1 on the season and will likely be the second seed in the district tournament. Undefeated in the OCC-Capital, the Wildcats will look to wrap up a division title next week.