REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio -- In a marquee matchup between two of the area’s unbeaten teams, Pickerington Central (6-0) took down Reynoldsburg (5-1) on the road Friday night, winning 52-45.

Jumping out to an early 7-2 lead, it looked like Reynoldsburg had control of the game in the first quarter, as they capitalized on several open looks against the Tigers defense.

It would only be a matter of time before Pickerington Central would turn it on though. Trailing 23-22 with just eight seconds left to play in the half, senior guard Javohn Garcia stripped a Reynoldsburg guard and then rose up and threw down a dunk for an and-one, giving the Tigers a 25-23 lead and all of the momentum heading into the locker room.

Reynoldsburg would not shy away though, as they led 41-39 with 4:52 to play in the game after unsigned senior Ben Fort knocked down a three. However, Pickerington Central outscored the Raiders 13-4 in the last five minutes, proving to be the late push they needed to hang on and win.

Garcia led all scorers with 16 points, followed up by senior guard Jay Rodgers with 15. Towns notched a double-double tonight with 13 points and 11 rebounds, absolutely dominating the paint. The Tigers are back in action next Friday as they will take on Williamston (MI) in the Detroit Roundball Classic.

Fort led the way for the Raiders, scoring 15 points and also grabbing eight rebounds. Breakout senior Sahmi Willoughby also contributed in both categories with 11 points and eight rebounds. Junior wing forward Sean Moore also scored 11 points for Reynoldsburg, who will take on Cincinnati Princeton in Saturday’s Coaches vs. Cancer Classic at Capital.

Sam Towns (6’8 F / Pickerington Central / 2019): By far the tallest player on the court tonight, the senior Towns used that to his advantage, scoring 13 points and grabbing a game high 11 rebounds. He also used his length to his advantage defensively tonight, as he disrupted nearly every shot that Reynoldsburg took in the lane. On offense, Towns is a versatile post who with great vision can also stretch the floor and knock down the three. He showed us all of that tonight, as he scored in multiple ways for the Tigers. We also got to see just how athletic Towns is tonight when he threw down two monster slams late in the fourth quarter. The senior is one of the top unsigned seniors in the area and is undoubtedly going to be off of the board soon.

Jay Rodgers (6’2 G / Pickerington Central / 2019): Rodgers was the main ball handler tonight for Pickerington Central, and did an exceptional job facilitating the offense for the Tigers. Displaying a very tight handle and good dribble moves, Rodgers created his own shot whenever he wanted tonight, as well as created for others. Finishing with 15 points, Jay was the second leading scorer in all of tonight’s action. He can knock down shots from every level of the floor, both off of the dribble and catch. Moving back from Springfield prior to this season, Rodgers may not be a guard on some schools radar, but he certainly will be soon as he looks to keep the Tigers undefeated early on.

Javohn Garcia (6’3 G / Pickerington Central / 2019): As we all expected, Garcia was the most dominant guard on the floor Friday night, finishing with a game-high 16 points. One of the best unsigned guards left in the state, Javohn can score at will. Tonight, he did not exactly fill it up, rather filling the stat sheet in other ways. With most of the defenses attention focused on him, Garcia created lots of good opportunities for Tigers all night. Whether it was by driving and kicking, taking it himself, or doing something off of the ball, he found ways to help his team win all night, something that you want from a senior star. Garcia also has a very long frame for a guard and caused problems for Reynoldsburg guards all night when the Tigers decided to play full-court man.

Ben Fort (6’5 WG / Reynoldsburg / 2019): The leading scorer for Reynoldsburg against a tough Tiger defense, Fort found ways to put his team in good spots all night, despite being defended very tightly. Scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds, Fort tried everything he could to give the Raiders a huge win Friday night, but it was not enough. He shows a very quick first step, making it easy for him to get into the lane, where he uses his length to help finish around bigger defenders. Fort is also capable of knocking down the mid-range jumper as well as the three, a tool he will need to to succeed at the next level. He also defends very well on the wing, using quick feet combined with his length to be a nuisance for opposing guards. Undoubtedly one of the better wings in the area, Fort will have to continue to work on his game as he looks to garner more Division 1 offers during his senior season.

Sean Moore (6’4 WG / Reynoldsburg / 2020): A rising player in the 2020 class, Moore had one of his better games to date Friday night against the area’s best team in Pickerington Central. Finishing with 11 points and four rebounds, Sean was one of the more physical players on the floor tonight. Moore is a very promising wing who can finish around the rim, defend and rebound well. Though he is still developing his shooting stroke, he will be a key for the Raiders these next two seasons.