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Bexley 59, Worthington Christian 57 - Prospect Scouting Report

By Jake Spegal, 01/12/19, 9:00PM EST

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Ryan Callahan and Nasir Tucker combine for 41 points to lead Bexley over Worthington Christian

WORTHINGTON, Ohio -- In a big MSL-Ohio matchup on Saturday night, Bexley (9-4) survived a late surge from Worthington Christian (8-4) to hang on and win 59-57.

Bexley jumped out to an early lead on the back of Wright State baseball commit and senior Ryan Callahan. Callahan scored 10 points in the first quarter to give the Lions a 13-10 lead heading into the second frame.

Bexley did not slow down in the second quarter, and they used several big three-pointers to take a 32-21 lead into the half. A big triple from senior point guard Anthony Welsh helped push the Lions into the break with all of the momentum in this one.

Worthington Christian began to get things going out of the break, and a big quarter from junior Derrick Hardin helped them cut the Bexley lead to 43-35 going into the final quarter.

Senior Charles Collins opened up the fourth with a huge and-one for Worthington Christian, but Welsh answered with another triple on the very next possession. The Warriors continued to chip away, however, and a missed free-throw from Welsh gave them the ball trailing 59-57 with 1.5 seconds remaining on the clock.

After Hardin caught the inbounds pass and immediately threw up a shot, a foul was called on Bexley and the junior headed to the line to shoot one-and-one with .3 seconds left on the clock. Hardin missed the front end, allowing Bexley to grab the rebound and secure the win.

This will be a tough pill to swallow for the Warriors, who were led by Hardin with a game-high 23 points. Junior Nakimba Mullins also contributed 12 points for Worthington Christian, and freshman DJ Moore scored 11 points to go along with his eight rebounds.

For Bexley, Callahan led the way with a dominant showing of 23 points and 15 rebounds. He was followed up by Nasir Tucker with 18 points on four three-pointers, and Welsh scored 12 for the Lions. They are back in action next Tuesday at home against Bloom-Carroll.


Ryan Callahan (6’2 WF / Bexley / 2019): Callahan was a man amongst the boys tonight as he finished with a double-double of 23 points and 15 rebounds and also threw down two huge slams. An exceptional two-sport athlete, Callahan is a high IQ player who has a great natural feel for the game. He only stands at 6-foot-2, but the senior has a wide, bruising frame that he does a great job of using when in and around the rim. Callahan scored most of his points inside tonight, but did it in a variety of ways. He scored both off the dribble and out of the post, a great example of the senior letting things come to him. When around the rim, he uses a very strong power dribble to create space between his defender and himself. Once this space is created, you might as well count the bucket. Ryan is a great finisher as well, and he exhibited that tonight. Rarely missing any looks around the rim, he dominated the paint all night. Callahan is also an incredible leaper and does a good job of using his body to clear out opposing players, allowing him to dominate the glass. Though he is continuing his athletic career on the baseball diamond, Ryan will continue to put up great numbers on the hardwood this season.

Nasir Tucker (5’8 CG / Bexley / 2019): Tucker continued his extremely hot stretch tonight by finishing with 18 points for Bexley. He did this by knocking down four three-pointers in the contest. Nasir displays a very confident outside stroke, and that was evident tonight. Knocking down several of his triples in huge spots, he showed off the clutch gene that you want to see out of important seniors on your roster. He provided the perfect sidekick to Callahan, as it seemed like every time Ryan was doubled in the post he kicked out to find an open Tucker and generate points. The guard is also relentless in getting to the rim, showing that off tonight by getting into the lane and drawing a foul on multiple occasions. He is slightly undersized at 5-foot-8, so he will need to add some finishing moves around the rim to his arsenal, but overall knows how to score it at a high rate. Tucker shows great position versatility as he can knock down shots as a two and also orchestrate the offense as a lead guard.

Derrick Hardin (6’0 WG / Worthington Christian / 2020): Hardin had an excellent showing on Saturday night as he finished with a game high 23 points to go along with three steals. The lefty displayed an excellent shooting stroke as he knocked down five three-pointers, but also made his offensive impact felt in other ways. The junior displays a great first step and is very quick in getting to the basket. He has exceptional speed which allows him to blow by defenders and get into the lane. On defense, Hardin was a pest all night, coming up with three steals and giving the Bexley guards problems in the Warriors full-court press. He is tough to get by and also does a good job of showing the refs his hands and not fouling. He has very quick feet that allow him to do this, and he uses these to his advantage on both ends of the floor. The junior has had a great season so far for the Warriors, and will definitely be a name that is on coaches radars soon.

Anthony Welsh (5’11 PG / Bexley / 2019): Welsh did a great job stepping up in the absence of junior Damian Davis on Saturday night, finishing with 12 points, six rebounds and six assists. He did a great job of handling the ball for Bexley and breaking the frequent pressure defenses that Worthington Christian threw at him. He’s a trustworthy ball handler that shows patience and exceptional vision both in the half-court and in transition. Once he broke the Warriors press tonight, he continually found open teammates in the open floor, creating easy buckets for Bexley. He also displays above average speed, as he can go coast-to-coast within a matter of seconds. On defense, the senior was tasked with guarding Warriors’ star DJ Moore tonight, and he did a great job of that. Holding Moore to zero first half points, Welsh showed of his quick feet and good instincts by never letting the freshman get by him. If Welsh can play at this level every night, Bexley will be a major player in the MSL-Ohio for the rest of the season.

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