GRANDVIEW HEIGHTS, Ohio -- Hitting the road for its toughest challenge of the year away from home, Northmor was looking to prove that its No. 5 seed in the Division III district tournament is very much warranted.

Taking on Grandview Heights (17-4), Northmor (19-1) used a big 18-7 fourth quarter run to pull away from the Bobcats in a 61-48 victory.

In a game that got off to a slow start, Grandview struck first blood, as sophomore guard Brian Collier was hot out the gates, helping the Bobcats establish a quick 7-2 lead. Collier scored nine points in the first quarter to power Grandview's offense, however, Northmor was not deterred.

Pushing the ball inside to its senior twin towers Kyle Kegley and Tyler Kegley, Northmor fought back. The scoring of the Kegley's and senior guards Meechie Johnson and Brock Pletcher helped Northmor tie things at 17 going into the second quarter.

The next eight minutes offered multiple lead changes as Northmor struck early, climbing out to a 21-17 advantage. Grandview Heights responded with a 7-0 run of its own, as a three from sophomore wing Luke Lachey helped the Bobcats take a 24-21 lead with 3:11 to go in the half.

Northmor remained resilient, going on a 7-2 run to end the half. Holding the ball for the final 45 seconds of the half, Johnson kicked out to sophomore forward Blake Miller, whose three-pointer with two seconds remaining put the Golden Knights ahead 28-26 going into hafltime.

With all five starters scoring at least five points in the first half for Northmor, that trend continued in the second half and in a major way. 

As Tyler Kegley missed a large chunk of the second quarter due to foul trouble, Northmor went back to its 6-foot-7 bruiser to open the second half, as a few strong finishes from him had the Golden Knights ahead 36-33 midway through the third.

Collier started off the second half much like the first, scoring seven points in the third quarter to help the Bobcats stay within a few possessions. As Collier cooled off, Lachey began to heat up. Three-straight slashing scores from the 6-foot-6 sophomore helped Grandview tie the game at 39 with a minute to go in the quarter.

Going back to Tyler Kegley, Northmor edged ahead, going into the final frame with a 43-41 lead.

In the fourth quarter, it was all Northmor. Pletcher had his best eight minutes of the game, knocking down a barrage of shots from the perimeter in a huge run for the Golden Knights. Pletcher's ability to knock down perimeter shots opened up the interior for Northmor, as the Golden Knights used a 13-3 run in the final 5:30 to pull away from Grandview Heights.

Northmor put the contest out of reach in a sequence of events in the final minute. With Grandview attempting to foul, Johnson finished an all-out circus And-1 score, which coupled with a technical foul from Grandview allowed Northmor to score five points on a single possession, putting the Golden Knights ahead 61-48 with 56 seconds to go.

In an all-around team effort, Northmor was led by Pletcher, who scored 19 points. Knocking down three triples and scoring well off the bounce, Pletcher showed his range of offensive abilities as a score-first 6-foot-3 guard with athleticism. Pletcher and best friend Johnson were the dynamic backcourt combo that Northmor needed on Tuesday, as the 5-foot-9 Johnson added 17 points and five assists.

Tyler Kegley had a strong second half, finishing with 12 points and playing excellent defense on Lachey in the fourth quarter. Providing brute physicality underneath, Kegley's ability to stay on the floor and out of foul trouble was key for Northmor.

Kyle Kegley had a versatile evening for the Golden Knights, proving to be Northmor's defensive MVP in an effort where he finished with eight points, six rebounds and two blocks. Able to defend guards, wings and bigs, Kegley's intriguing length at 6-foot-9 is vital to this Northmor team. Able to knock down threes with consistency and finish strong around the basket, Kegley gives Northmor versatility on both ends of the floor.

Miller finished with five points, with no three bigger than the one he hit to end the first half.

At 19-1, Northmor looks to complete an undefeated season in the Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference on the road at Highland and Fredericktown to end the year. Hosting Worthington Christian in the Division III sectional semifinals on Feb. 26, Northmor has a chance to make a deep tournament run behind its talented senior class.

For Grandview, Collier led all scorers with 23 points. Keeping the ball on a string and hitting some tough shots, Collier provided the spark scoring that Grandview needed to remain competitive on Tuesday. Still only a sophomore, Collier has greatly improved as an all-around point guard this season.

The fellow sophomore Lachey had a terrific evening, adding 15 points and six rebounds. One of the area's most athletic sophomores, Lachey gave Northmor's wings some problems, which prompted the switch to put the bigger Tyler Kegley on him. Lachey and Collier are two huge foundational pieces for this Grandview team moving forward. The rest of the Bobcat roster combined for 10 points on Tueday, as Grandview struggled to get much of anything outside of its stud sophomores.

At 17-4, Grandview wraps up its regular season on Friday at London before hosting Fairbanks in the D3 sectional semifinals on Feb. 26.