skip navigation

Westerville South shuts down Westerville Central in rivalry road win

By Zach Fleer, 01/13/18, 9:30PM EST

Share

Westerville South held rival Central to 2 points in the third quarter

WESTERVILLE, Ohio -- From the opening tip, Westerville South was determined to be the aggressor in a rivalry road game at No. 6 Westerville Central. Using its high-pressure defense and a 12-2 third quarter, the 'Cats (8-3, 2-3) rolled to a 59-45 win over the Warhawks (9-2, 3-2) on Saturday.

In its second matchup against a top 10 team on the road this week, Westerville South was looking to continue its hot streak after taking down No. 4 Pickerington Central on Tuesday. With Friday's inclement weather pushing the game back a day, Westerville South did not lose any bit of focus, holding talented Westerville Central senior guard Thomas Hickman to a season-low 11 points.

Never trailing at any point on Saturday, Westerville South's defensive pressure early on led to a 14-9 advantage after a quarter of play. Both teams would score 12 points a piece in the second quarter, however, Westerville South avoided a potential game-changing play to end the half, as a steal from senior Manny Sunnyway led to a buzzer-beating floater from junior guard Jacob Singleton. Going into halftime with a 26-21 lead, Westerville South was just getting started.

In a third quarter that was the opposite of high-scoring, Westerville South went more than four minutes without a field goal. However, a three from senior guard Elton Sunnyway with 2:46 to go in the quarter put the 'Cats up 30-23.

Ending the quarter on an 11-0 run, South held Central to just one field goal and two points in the third, as the 'Cats went into the final frame with a 38-23 advantage.

Leading by 15 points at multiple times in the period, Westerville South wouldn't let Central get within striking distance, as the 'Cats matched offense bucket for bucket anytime the Warhawks got going. Rolling to a 59-45 win, Westerville South notches yet another signature win, as the 'Cats have beaten top 10 teams in Pickerington Central, Westerville Central and Gahanna this season.


Elton Sunnyway

Elton Sunnyway had a career night, finishing with 15 points. Providing physicality on the defensive perimeter and knocking down big shots, Sunnyway was the hot hand for South on the night. Forcing 12 steals as a team, South got after it on the defensive end, as Manny Sunnyway and junior guards Jordan McMillian and Ryan Greggs combined for 10 steals.

Senior guard Hafiz Turay had one of his best outings, finishing with nine points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks, controlling the game on both ends. Greggs added nine points, while McMillian added eight points, six of which in the first half.

Singleton provided for seven points off the bench, giving the 'Cats tough reserve minutes. Despite not starting a single player over 6-foot, Westerville South out-rebounded the Warhawks 27-21. Getting nearly every 50-50 ball on Saturday, Westerville South clearly wanted it more for 32 minutes.

For Westerville Central, senior wing Josh McDaniel led all scorers with 12 points on limited shots. Senior wing Solomon Wells added 10 points, providing a bit of a spark in the second half when the rest of the team was cold.

The story for the Warhawks on Saturday was Hickman, who came into the game averaging 20.2 points per contest. As South made it a priority to be physical with the talented guard, Hickman struggled to get things going, finishing with just three made field goals and a season-low 11 points. Hickman saw multiple defensive matchups on Saturday, as Westerville South is able to switch on nearly every screen due to its lack of size and overall quickness as a unit.

Getting right back into the race for the OCC-Buckeye, which by all accounts has been the best league in the area thus far, Westerville South is building momentum in what has been a year of transition for the 'Cats. With five new starters and several players with no varsity experience coming into the season, longtime Westerville South coach Ed Calo is doing his best coaching job yet, as the 'Cats have played some of the best defense that the area has seen thus far.

Westerville South will look to keep rolling with a difficult league matchup at Olentangy (7-5) next Friday to begin the second round of OCC play.

For Westerville Central, the Warhawks will have to bounce back quickly as a Monday road trip to Thomas Worthington (2-8) awaits. 


Elton Sunnyway (Mitch Brown / Central Ohio Photography)

Recent News

Subscribe to 270 Hoops Mailing List!

Email Address:
Favorite High School:
First Name:
Last Name:
Subscribe