COLUMBUS, Ohio -- In one of the marquee Division II matchups of the weekend, DeSales proved that they are legitimate district title contenders with a 71-48 win over MSL foe Bloom-Carroll.

Despite being without junior point guard Kobe Righter, DeSales controlled the game from the opening tip, dominating from start to finish. The Stallions took a 41-22 lead into the half, as they created many easy buckets in the first half by frustrating the Bulldogs with their full court press.

Opening up the second half on a 9-0 run, DeSales took all of the momentum they needed for the remainder of the contest. This run was sparked by seven straight points from guard Kayin Derden. The senior led all scorers with 25 points, followed up by sophomore guard Austin Mann with 14. Sophomore forward Desmond Watson also had his way inside all night, finishing with an impressive 10 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Jayden Hawkins-White led all Stallions reserves with seven points.

DeSales moves to 4-0 on the season with this win, completing a nice weekend stretch as they also took down CCL-foe Bishop Watterson Friday night, winning 62-59. The Stallions will now turn their focus towards next Friday’s game at Bishop Hartley.

For Bloom-Carroll, junior guard Otto Kuhns gave the Bulldogs everything he had, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds and four steals. Sophomore guard Joe Luckhaupt and senior guard Evan Dozer handled most of the remaining scoring load, each finishing with 11 points respectively. The Bulldogs will look to bounce back next Tuesday night in league play against Circleville.

Austin Mann (5’7 PG/ DeSales / 2021): Assuming the lead guard role due to the absence of Kobe Righter, Mann put on an excellent showing Saturday night. Going a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc, it was Mann’s perimeter shooting that allowed the rest of his game to get going. Though he is slightly undersized at 5-foot-7, he also impressed with several crafty finishes around the rim, even adjusting his lay-in mid air on one specific take. Mann also proved to be a pest on the defensive end all night, picking up two steals in the Stallions press. He does not have the length to disrupt defenses vertically, but he does a great job using his quickness to jump into open space and come away with steals

Desmond Watson (6’4 WF / DeSales / 2021): In a contest where a lot of scoring was done on the perimeter, Watson was the dominant force in the paint tonight, setting the tone very early. Standing at 6-foot-4 and displaying a mature muscular build, the sophomore was a nightmare for Bloom-Carroll to box out, as he grabbed eight rebounds all together, also scoring 10 points. Desmond also displays great athleticism on the defensive side of the ball, as he frustrated Bloom-Carroll’s guards all night with his length and ability to move his feet in the press. Watson is definitely a 2021 to keep an eye on in the CCL as his role in the Stallions system grows in the coming years.

Kayin Derden (6’2 G / DeSales / 2019): Derden was the best player on the floor once again tonight, posting a game high 25 points along with seven rebounds. Kayin was able to combine for 49 points this weekend in two games against top five Division II opponents. For more on Derden, check out last night's scouting report.

Otto Kuhns (6’3 G / Bloom-Carroll / 2020): Though he spent all fall playing at an all-state level in football, Kuhns has put up some impressive numbers on the hardwood to start this season. We were very excited to get another look at him tonight. The main focus of the Bloom-Carroll attack, Kuhns played practically the entire game tonight, finishing with 13 points, five rebounds and four steals. He was tasked with a very tough match-up being guarded by Derden all night, but found himself getting in the lane a multitude of times, also finishing a tough and-one. Otto also has a very smooth perimeter jump shot, as he knocked down several outside shots tonight. Simply a gifted athlete, he also defends on the perimeter exceptionally well, as he grabbed four steals tonight and had some great sets on that end of the floor. Look for Kuhns to put up big numbers in the MSL this season.