COLUMBUS, Ohio -- This day was eventually going to come. Beechcroft's seniors said "why not us?" Becoming the first City League team to win on Northland's home floor since Jan. 24, 2006, Beechcroft rolled in convincing fashion over the Vikings, 83-74.

Beechcroft senior guard and coach's son Jelani Simmons led the charge with a game-high 29 points. 

Jumping out to a 9-0 lead, Beechcroft sent a message from the opening tip that the Cougars were not intimidated. Looking like a team on a mission, Beechcroft trailed for mere seconds on Friday, as Northland had its only lead at 14-13 with 18 seconds remaining in the first quarter. A score from senior Elijah Bishop with five seconds remaining put Beechcroft ahead 15-14 after a quarter of play.

In the second quarter, Beechcroft led by as much as 14 points as a dunk from senior Datrey Long put the Cougars up 37-23 with 3:51 to go in the half. While Northland closed the gap to 42-36 with seconds remaining in the quarter, a long buzzer beating three from Long put the Cougars back up by a considerable margin, going into halftime with a 45-36 lead.

In the third quarter, Northland would come out with great energy, trimming the Beechcroft lead to 49-44 with 5:18 to go. As was the story all Friday, when Northland landed a jab, Beechcroft counted with a haymaker.

Fighting back with smart defensive plays and efficient offensive possessions, Beechcroft went into the fourth quarter with a 62-54 lead. 

In the fourth quarter, Northland crept back to within six, as a strong drive and dish from senior guard LaMonte Powell to junior forward Tayvon Davis put the game at 62-56 with 7:01 remaining. Beechcroft countered once again with a flurry of transition points, going on a 13-4 run over the next four minutes, capped off by a steal and monster slam from Simmons to put the Cougars up 75-60.

However, a questionable technical was called on Simmons after he briefly hung on the rim to regain balance. Northland responded with a 5-0 run over the next 30 seconds to trim the lead to 75-65.

Beechcroft would not allow the Vikings to come within six points after however, as the Cougars closed out the final two and a half minutes to do what seemed impossible in the City League only a few years ago.

After losing its last 23 games to Northland, Beechcroft becomes the first existing City League team in the North division to defeat the Vikings since Jared Sullinger was an eighth grader. The Cougars' talented senior class, a group that has played together since middle school, became the select few to make history for Beechcroft. 

Simmons led the way with 29 points, as the proud son of coach Humphrey Simmons knocked down major shots and put the game away with demoralizing dunks in transition. Scoring 21 of his 29 points in the second half alone, Simmons stepped up for Beechcroft when the Cougars needed its top player to come through in the clutch.

Long added 20 points, 13 of which in the second half. Making major plays on both ends of the floor, Long played his best game as a point guard, adding five rebounds and a game-high eight assists to his stat line. Long's defensive pressure, motor and intensity set the tone for Beechcroft, as the Cougars play an aggressive brand of basketball for 32 minutes. Long is the type of player that you want going into war with you, as you know what type of effort you are going to get each time out.

Senior guard Teon Jennings was the hot hand in the first half, scoring all 13 of his points in the first two periods. Knocking down three triples and being the calming force for the Cougars when Beechcroft needed to slow things down, Jennings and his twin brother Therron Jennings were the glue guys on Friday. Therron Jennings played a great all-around game, adding eight points and six rebounds, but made his biggest impact on the defensive end, taking key charges in big moments.

Senior forward Elijah Bishop added eight points, six rebounds and three blocks off the bench, giving Beechcroft a versatile wing threat that could score in athletic ways around the basket. Junior forward Na'elle Simmons set the tone in the paint early on, scoring all five of his points in the first quarter and adding a game-high nine rebounds.

For Northland, junior guard Will Mfum was the Vikings' top performer, finishing with 20 points and six rebounds. However, Mfum would be limited in the second half due to foul trouble. Mfum's energy and toughness matched Beechcroft's, as the athletic junior made impressive plays on both ends of the floor. Mfum has really developed as a guard, making several high-level plays with the ball and finishing tough at the rim.

Senior guard Jejuan Weatherspoon added 16 points, 10 of which in the first half. Weatherspoon and Jelani Simmons were an intriguing matchup for 32 minutes, going back and forth in an entertaining battle. Junior point guard N'Keeley Elmore added 14 points and seven assists, while junior forward Mark Lee played a solid all-around game, finishing with nine points before fouling out in the fourth quarter.

Junior forward Tayvon Davis put in quality minutes off the bench, finishing with eight points and four rebounds in limited minutes.

With the win, Beechcroft improves to 7-0 and takes a commanding lead in the City League North division. Tied with East at the top, who defeated Linden 75-68 on Friday, Beechcroft will get a crack at the Tigers at home on Jan. 12. Closing out yet another tough opponent, Beechcroft seems to have turned a corner as a team, as the Cougars are playing inspired basketball and operating like a family on every possession. 

Northland finds itself in unusual territory with a division loss so early in the season for the first time in more than a decade. The Vikings will look to bounce back on Saturday in Ironton, as Northland takes on Evelyn Mack Academy out of North Carolina in the Ironton Classic.

Scoring 80+ points in six of seven games this season, Beechcroft has the top offensive attack thus far in Division II, as the Cougars are not only a threat to win the City and district, but also the region and possibly state. With a tough group of seniors who believe in one another, the sky is the limit for this Beechcroft team going forward with such a monumental win under its belt.