Sunday, January 23, 2011

Gahanna Cruses Past Chillicothe in Ohio Showcase


The second game of the day featured the AP 3rd ranked Gahanna Lincoln Golden Lions (14-0) against Division II 2nd ranked Chillicothe Cavaliers (10-2). This game represented a rematch of sorts, as the Golden Lions easily defeated the Cavilers at the Ohio State Camp this past summer. Chillicothe is led by UTEP pledge 6’6 Jalen Ragland, and has a top big man in 6’8 Malik London, while Gahanna is paced by Ohio signee Stevie Taylor and is supported by a cast seniors including: Jamel Morris, Trey Warr, Brandon Smith and Jordan Martin.

As they did the last time these two teams met in June, Gahanna jumped at to an early 7-0 lead on a jumper and lay-up by senior guard Jamell Morris.  Gahanna never really looked back, as the Golden Lions finished the 1st quarter with a 19-8 lead. It was much the same situation in the second quarter, as a much quicker and more athletic Gahanna maintained their dominance and finished the half with a 32-20 lead. Although Chillicothe got on the score board first to open the second half, Gahanna answered with a steal and layup by Stevie Taylor. By the 4:19 mark, the Lions had ballooned their lead to 40-24. Gahanna Lincoln maintained a comfortable lead throughout the 3rd quarter and took a 49-33 margin into the final period. The Cavaliers could only muster another 10 points in the final quarter, as Gahanna went on to claim a gaudy 68-43 victory.

The leading scorer and MVP of the game was Stevie Taylor, who scored a showcase-high 28 points. Sophomore Aaron Jackson had a good day and finished with 9 points, while Jamel Morris finished with 8 points and Brandon Smith finished with 6 markers. With his 28-point explosion, Taylor is only 5 points away from breaking Gahanna’s all time career scoring record of 1262, which has been held by Mark Browning since the 1960-61 season. Gahanna's next game is at home against Lancaster on Tuesday. For Chillicothe, Tyler Manion finished with a team-high 11 points and MVP honors, while Jalen Ragland was held to 8 points. Although his offensive output was limited, Malik London represented a problem in the post, as he rejected several Gahanna shot attempts. Checkout the game pictures at the Buckeye prep Facebook Fan Page. Click on the link to check out Cap City Prep's game video.

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