COLUMBUS, Ohio -- DeSales traveled to Bishop Watterson on Friday for a Central Catholic League rivalry matchup matchup between two of the top teams in Division II.

As rivalries generally go, DeSales and Bishop Watterson battled back and forth into overtime, with the young Stallions coming away with a 62-59 win on the road.

DeSales came out aggressive from the start, starting the game in a full court press. For the first 90 seconds of the game Watterson struggled to get the the ball past half court, resulting in a few turnovers, which led to a quick 9-0 run by DeSales.

DeSales senior Kayin Derden played out of his mind in the first half, scoring 16 points and making his fair share of big plays on both offense and defense. 

Heading into halftime, DeSales was up by 10, however Watterson slowly crept their way back into the game in the second half. Led by  seniors Jimmy Patton and Zach Sawyer, Bishop Watterson took their first lead midway through the fourth quarter. After many lead changes in the final quarter, the game was tied at 55 at the end of regulation. 

The intensity carried over to overtime, as the game got more and more physical. In the end it was free throws that won the game as DeSales came out on top, 62-59.

Kayin Derden (6’2 G / DeSales / 2019): Derden proved Friday night why he is one of the best unsigned seniors in the area. Derden can score in a variety of ways offensively, and is one of the better athletes in his class. Derden came out firing on all cylinders in the first half, scoring 16 points in the first 16 minutes, 12 of which coming from behind the three point line. Derden also made some huge defensive plays, stealing the ball a handful of times and sending back three of his opponents shots in the first half alone. The unsigned senior should begin to attract more attention from schools in the state, as he finished with a game-high 24 points on Friday. 

Jimmy Patton (6’5 WF / Bishop Watterson / 2019): The 6-foot-5 senior can shoot the ball from outside, and can score at a high level inside when he gets going. After a first half where Patton looked intimated and struggled mightily, the senior bounced back with a huge performance in the second half of play. Patton enforced his will inside, grabbing rebounds, and scoring at a very high level on the interior, bringing Watterson back from a double digit deficit in the fourth quarter to take their first lead of the game. Patton finished Friday night’s contest with 17 points.

Kobe Righter (5’10 PG / DeSales / 2020): The 2020 point guard was the X-factor for DeSales late in Friday night’s game. Righter showed a high level of composure as he saw his team's lead evaporate in the fourth quarter, only to help them take the win in overtime despite the adversity. Righter took care of the ball for the whole game, and was able to use his quick first step to get in the lane and draw fouls. Kobe looks to have another fantastic season, as he will try and help lead DeSales to a district championship in March. 

For more on Bishop Watterson's top players, take a look at our reports from the Hilliard Davidson and Walnut Ridge games.