COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The first night of the season is behind us and Central Ohio's best wasted no time making its mark on the area. Let's take a look at the top games from Thursday night here.
Westerville North looked like a potential top five team in Division I as the Warriors never worried in a road test at Licking Heights on Thursday. Behind balanced scoring from its starting lineup, Westerville North led by double-digits for the majority of the action on Thursday, rolling to a 73-57 win.
Junior forward Philip Alston paved the way for North, establishing a presence inside to finish with 16 points and 13 rebounds. North's backcourt trio was terrific as well, combining for 41 points as senior guard Julius Brown and junior guard Jeremiah Keene each finished with 14, while senior guard Julian Malone added 13 in his first game back in two years.
For Licking Heights, senior wing Matt Dugue was very impressive in his season debut, finishing with a career-high 28 points. Dugue was the lone consistent scorer for the Hornets, as he was the lone consistent scorer on the night. Junior wing Josh Osei added 10 points while freshman forward Tyrese Hughey looked very good in his first game, adding eight points and nine rebounds.
Hilliard Darby wasted no time in getting its season off to a high note in taking down Marysville, 63-60. Senior guard Brice Stultz led the way with 17 points, while junior guard Jaeln Benjamin (14) and senior forward Chandler Barlow (12) each added double figures. Freshman guard Jack Christian led Marysville with 16 points.
Linden-McKinley began its highly anticipated season on a high note, as the third-ranked Division II team in the area rolled over Licking Valley, 80-52. Junior center D'Amonte Jones led the Panthers with 15 points, while Damon Prater (12) and David Brown (10) each finished in double-figures. Licking Valley was led by sophomore guard Carson Carter, who finished with a game-high 21 points.
Dublin Scioto received big scoring from its trio of Depreis Owens, Jacob Jones and Victor Mwamba, who combined for 33 points in a 48-33 win over Whetstone on the road. Scioto held Whetstone to single digit points in all four quarters, as the Irish started off its season on a high note.
Olentangy junior guard Sean Marks erupted for a career-high 31 points as the Braves started off its season with a bang in an 81-59 win over Marion Harding. Jarred Kinnaird and Alex Sieve each scored in double figures, going for 15 and 10 points, respectively. Marion Harding was led by DeJuan Smith, who finished with 14 points.
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