WEST JEFFERSON, Ohio -- In a game that plotted the two top teams in the Ohio Heritage Conference this season, Fairbanks (12-2) travelled to West Jefferson (12-4) to take on the Roughriders on Friday night. In a game where the Panthers consistently answered big West Jeff baskets, they hung to win 67-61.

This was thanks in large part to senior wing Cross Hackathorne, who led all scorers with 28 points and dominated the game all night, playing the entire 36 minutes.

The game opened with a three-pointer from none other than Hackathorne, and he knocked down two more triples later on in the quarter to help the Panthers build a 16-8 lead after one.

West Jefferson struggled to hit shots against Fairbanks zone in the quarter, but that would change very quickly.

With the Roughriders trailing 25-20 with 2:05 to play in the half, senior wing guard Joe Thompson knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to give West Jeff their first lead of the second. Fairbanks scored inside before the buzzer on the next possession, helping them take a 27-26 lead into the locker room.

Fairbanks took control midway through the third when senior Jacob Nicol knocked down two three’s of his own to push their lead to 41-34. This would not spell trouble for West Jeff, however.

When Hackathorne was fouled driving baseline late in the third, he uttered something to a West Jefferson player and ultimately received a technical foul for it. Thompson knocked down both shots for the Riders and a score from senior Ben Casey before the buzzer helped cut the Fairbanks lead to 41-39 heading into the final quarter.

Casey scored off a putback to tie it at 41 at the beginning of the fourth, but Fairbanks responded in a big way.

After a three-pointer from senior Wyatte Miller, a tough finish inside and a triple from Hackathorne forced West Jefferson to call a timeout trailing 49-41 with 5:24 to play.

However, two triples from Thompson and one from Casey cut the Panther lead to just 53-50 with 2:50 to go. On the very next possesion, Thompson tied the game at 53 with another corner three-pointer.

Senior Mason Smith knocked down two free-throws for Fairbanks on their next possession, but Casey responded with a score inside to tie it at 55. Both teams went cold from the field after this, sending us to overtime all knotted up at 55.

Hackathorne opened the overtime up with yet another three-pointer, sparking a quick 6-0 run for Fairbanks. The Panthers knocked down their free-throws late and took care of the ball after this to hold on and win.

This is a heartbreaking loss for the Roughriders, who had it in their hands several times. Thompson (27 points) and Casey (23 points) combined for 50 of the Roughriders 61 points as they lacked help on the offensive end for most of the night. Thompson also contributed eight rebounds and Casey grabbed 10 boards.

The Riders are back in action next Tuesday as they get ready host Columbus Academy, one of the area’s top teams in Division III.

Hackathorne led Fairbanks with a monster showing of 28 points and seven rebounds. He was followed up by Nicol who had a good all-around showing with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists. Seniors Tyler Beem and Mason Smith each contributed six points a piece as well.

Fairbanks has an interesting test tomorrow as they host Heath.

Cross Hackathorne (6’5 WF / Fairbanks / 2019): In our first viewing of Hackathorne on Friday night, he showed exactly why we’ve made an effort to make it out to more rural schools this season. Finishing with a game-high 28 points, the senior scored in a variety of ways, but relied heavily on the three-pointer. Standing at 6-foot-5 and having an exceptional wingspan, Cross was able to shoot over the top of West Jefferson defenders all night enroute to knocking down six triples. He is a confident shooter who is not afraid to pull-up with just a little bit of space. He also used his length to his advantage on the glass by grabbing seven rebounds. Hackathorne also showed us a good ability to put the ball on the deck and score. Using a quick first step to create space from defenders, Cross showed comfortability in both taking it to the room and shooting the mid-range pull up. A hidden gem in the OHC, look for Hackathorne to burst onto the scene late this year as the go-to option for a tough Fairbanks squad.

Joe Thompson (6’3 WG / West Jefferson / 2019): Thompson had the breakout game of his career tonight, finishing with a career-high 27 points to go along with eight rebounds. Standing at 6-foot-3 and having good length, the senior projects very well as a wing guard at the next level. He also showed off his great athleticism tonight by throwing down a one-handed slam in transition. Thompson knocked down five triples tonight, several of which came in huge spots for the Riders. He’s a smooth lefty who gets his perimeter shot off quickly and knocks it down at an efficient clip. Joe also has above-average speed when going from end-to-end, thanks in large part to his overly long strides. He did a good job of gashing the Fairbanks zone and creating open looks for teammates as well as his self. On defense, he poses as a long wing who can defend anywhere from the 1-3 at the next level. Keep an eye out for Thompson during the rest of this season as any NAIA school would be getting a steal in the pure scorer.

Ben Casey (6’3 WG / West Jefferson / 2019): Similar to Thompson, Casey is a long wing who can score in several ways. Finishing with a double-double of 23 points and ten rebounds tonight, Casey scored by knocking down the three, gashing the defense and grabbing offensive rebounds. He uses a quick first step to get by defenders and make them pay, which we saw in the very few times that Fairbanks played man-to-man today. Casey has had a monster season to this point, and is a name for low-major Division II schools and NAIA’s to keep their eyes on.