Ben Roderick scored six points and Mitchell Kershner, Joey Thatcher and Nick Nakasian each added 3-pointers in a 15-2 start for the Olentangy Liberty boys basketball team.
The fourth-seeded Patriots cruised from there to knock off 40th-seeded Hilliard Darby 74-41 in the first round of the Division I district tournament Saturday afternoon in Powell.
Roderick scored a game-high 26 points and Nakasian added 15 to lead Liberty (19-4), which has reeled off nine straight wins.
Andrew Patrick scored 13 points and Kyle Miller added 12 to lead the Panthers (6-17).
Liberty advances to play 39th-seeded Licking Heights in Powell in Friday night’s second round, which will tip at 7 p.m.
Columbus South 70, Olentangy Berlin 21
Taquan Simington scored 16 of his game-high 20 points in the first half as the top-seeded Bulldogs built a 48-10 lead at the break on their way to a win over Berlin in the first round of the Division II district tournament Monday night in Columbus.
Austin Corley and Grant Schrieber scored five points apiece to lead the 23rd-seeded Bears (3-20).
Alvin Byrd had 12 points and Marcus Johnson added 10 for South (22-1), which hosts 20th-seeded Marion-Franklin in the second round Saturday night at 7 p.m.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Delaware Christian, already down at the half, was done in by a 17-4 third quarter and fell 43-28 in the third round of the Division IV district tournament Saturday afternoon in Sugar Grove.
Lyssi Snouffer had 19 points, 22 rebounds and four steals to lead the fourth-seeded Eagles.
Bella Kline scored a game-high 29 points for the third-seeded Rockets, who advance to Wednesday’s district semifinal against second-seeded Newark Catholic at 7 p.m. at a site to be announced.
GIRLS BOWLING
Seniors Autumn Leidtke, Anna Tanner and Kaitlyn Morrison each turned in top 15 finishes to help Big Walnut to a second-place finish in the Division I sectionals Friday at HP Lanes in Columbus.
Hayes freshman Hannah Halstead turned in the area’s top individual performance with a 607 to finish just behind Whitehall-Yearling junior Jessica Gress.
Senior Mac Knodell added a score of 564 to finish seventh as an individual. The duo led the Pacers to a third-place finish as a team with a score of 3,506 behind first place Westerville Central (3,777).
Olentangy (3,394) finished fourth and Olentangy Orange (2,940) finished 15th to qualify for the district tournament.
Senior Hannah Starr rolled a 554 to lead Olentangy and junior Raymie Shield (493) and senior McKenzie Peterson (492) led the Pioneers in the 37-team tournament.
The district tournament is back at HP Lanes Saturday morning at 10 a.m.
Also, Buckeye Valley senior Morgan Coe (516) and Olentangy Berlin sophomore (504) led the way for the respective teams in the Division II district tournament Thursday night at HP Lanes in Columbus.
BOYS BOWLING
Big Walnut senior Johnny Lemaster rolled a 676 to finish second among individuals in the Division I sectionals Saturday at HP Lanes in Columbus.
Seniors Erin Hoover (567) and Jacob Bowens (536) also had solid outings for the Golden Eagles, who qualified as a team with a team total of 3,843 to finish ninth. The top 16 teams qualified.
Lemaster finished just behind Marion Harding sophomore Eli Cox, who rolled a 697 to top all scorers. The Presidents took first place as a team with a score of 4,336.
Olentangy got a well-rounded effort by seniors Tyler McMaster (602), Nick Madaris (589), Michael Lamar (564) and Noah Johnson (526) to finish sixth as a team with a score of 3,871.
Junior Jacob Norz rolled a 607 to lead the Pioneers, who finished 16th as a team with a score of 3,644 to advance. Jake Burre (553) and Tanner Davidson (534) highlighted Orange’s effort.
Delaware Hayes senior Dillon Muirfield rolled a 635, which was 10th overall, to qualify as an individual.
Logan Wright led Olentangy Berlin with a 538, just missing the individual cut.
Nick Bateson rolled a 501 for Olentangy Liberty and Kyle Brookins led Buckeye Valley with a 499 series in the 42-team tournament.
The district tournament is back at HP Lanes Saturday morning beginning at 10 a.m.