WHITEHALL, Ohio -- In a game that meant winner takes control of first place in the MSL-Ohio, Columbus Academy used an outstanding fourth quarter on the back of junior Carter Warstler to take down Whitehall, winning 42-40.

Warstler was the best player on the floor all night, going for a career-high 22 points and accounting for more than half of his team’s scoring.

The game had an extremely slow pace throughout, and the tone was set in the first quarter. Whitehall (7-7) opened up in a 2-3 zone and the Vikings came out in a 3-2.

Both teams had excessively long possessions and failed to knock down shots in the frame, ultimately leading to an 11-9 Rams lead after one.

The second quarter was also extremely slow paced as neither team could find a consistent scoring option. Both squads missed a handful of easy looks around the rim and failed to gain separation from one another.

Columbus Academy (10-3) put together a trivial 4-0 run to close out the half. At the break, they trailed 20-18.

The third quarter was played back-and-forth for the majority of the frame, but an and-one from Whitehall sophomore Royal Sibly helped the Rams create some separation before the end of the quarter and take a 29-24 lead into the fourth.

Columbus Academy scored a quick six points to start the fourth, and an offensive rebound and putback from senior Dalyn Decree tied it up at 30 just two and a half minutes into the frame. Whitehall answered with a basket of their own, but Warstler scored off another offensive rebound to tie it at 32 with 4:52 to go.

The Vikings dominated the offensive glass all night and ultimately won the rebounding battle 39-20. This was a major deciding factor in the game and hurt Whitehall tremendously down the stretch.

After Whitehall took a 35-32 lead with two free throws from Sibly, Warstler answered with a huge three-pointer from Decree to tie it up at 35. Shortly after, the junior knocked down two free-throws to give his team their first lead in the second half.

Senior Dorrian Moultrie scored on a fast break several possessions later to extend the lead to four, but Whitehall junior Charles Miller answered with a tough bucket in the lane on the very next possession.

Senior Roshean Bagley scored with a floater on the Rams next possession to tie the game back up at 39. Columbus Academy quickly pushed the ball up the floor and Warstler was fouled while getting to the rim.

He knocked down one and Whitehall sophomore K’ievon Wiggins also made a free throw on the other end to tie the game at 40.

Moultrie got fouled on the next possession for the Vikings and headed to the line to shoot one-and-one. After he knocked down both, Whitehall failed to score on the other end and the Columbus Academy held on to claim first place in the league.

This is a devastating loss for Whitehall who drops to 7-7 after the contest. The Rams were outrebounded significantly on both ends and this ultimately cost them the game. Sibly was their only man in double figures with 12 points.

Columbus Academy has to be feeling great after this win and rightfully so. Outside of Warstler’s 22, they also received eight points and 14 rebounds from Decree. Moultrie and senior Chris Boyle each contributed six points as well.

The Vikings have another big league game looming this Friday at Worthington Christian.

Carter Warstler (6’0 WG / Columbus Academy / 2020): There is only one word that describes Warstler tonight: bulldog. With his team trailing for the majority of the game, the junior took matters into his own hands late and used an outstanding fourth quarter to pull out a victory for his squad. Going for a career-high 22 points, he got the job done on offense down the stretch. He’s a natural shooter and showed this off in the contest by knocking down three triples in efficient fashion. He also displayed great speed end-to-end and got to the bucket and past his defender on several occasions. He used good hesitation moves and an above-average crossover to split the Whitehall defense all night and get into the lane. When he got inside, Carter was a tough finisher through contact and showed off a soft-touch floater. He also got fouled on several occasions and was efficient at the line. On defense, the junior does not wow you with overly quick feet but is an excellent hustle player who gets his job done. We also saw him make several good off-ball rotations within the Vikings zone schemes. With tonight being his breakout game, look the junior to start putting up better numbers as he has the experience to do so.

Dalyn Decree (6’4 WF / Columbus Academy / 2019): Decree had a solid showing tonight and finished just short of a double-double. Finishing with eight points and 14 rebounds, the senior dominated the paint all night and was no matchup for anybody on the Whitehall roster. He did most of his work on the glass by using his solid frame to his advantage but ultimately was able to dominate due to his elite vertical. On defense, Decree shows value by being able to guard in the post and out on the perimeter, but he was stuck inside the Vikings zone for most of the night. We would like to see him improve on his finishing ability around the rim, but Dalyn could develop into a solid Division III player with good coaching at the next level.

Royal Sibly (6’5 WG / Whitehall / 2021): Though he is still a very raw prospect, we were intrigued with what we saw from Sibly tonight. Standing at 6-foot-5, the sophomore has good physical tools and a solid frame. He displays several marketable tools on offense which begins with his good vision. Though he only finished with three assists tonight, he made several good passes and was always a step ahead of the Vikings zone whether he was operating out of the high post or driving-and-kicking. He also threw two no look passes that were on target, a clear showing of his natural feel and instincts for the game. He can also cause problems on the perimeter with his length and has a lot of potential as a perimeter defender with development. One thing that we would like to see out of Royal is being more engaged with and enthusiastic about the game, but we are excited to watch his young career continue.