The Buckeye Valley boys basketball team snapped its three-game skid with the three ball, using it early and often to bury visiting Genoa Christian 69-31 in non-league action Thursday night in Delaware.
The Barons’ first eight made field goals were all threes, seven of which came in the first quarter. Dane Fisher set the tone right off the bat, nailing back-to-back triples to put BV up early.
The Lions’ Christian Collins did all he could to keep his team within striking distance early on, answering both of Fisher’s threes with hoops of his own, but eventually the Barons’ three-pointers helped them pull away even with the teams trading buckets.
Brendan Stalf followed up a Collins hoop with a three to balloon the lead to 9-4 with 4:45 left in the first quarter and, after another Collins hoop — Collins had eight of his team’s 10 first-quarter points — BV’s Zane Melvin and Cam Richardson hit back-t0-back threes to make it an 18-8 game.
Markus Frijas closed the quarter with a three-pointer at the buzzer, the Barons’ seventh of the game, then opened the second with another triple.
BV, which had 12 threes by the time all was said and done, pulled away from there. A Fisher three after a Frijas steal made it 33-18 before Frijas ended the quarter the same way he opened it — with a three-pointer — to give his team a 38-20 edge at the break.
From there, BV used a dominant 23-4 third to all but seal the deal before an 8-7 fourth smoothed out the scoring summary.
Melvin led a balanced Baron attack with 14 points to go with six rebounds and five assists. Other standouts included Fisher and Frijas, who collected 11 points apiece thanks in part to a combined six three-pointers (three each).
Next up, Buckeye Valley is slated to return to MSL-Ohio play Saturday against host Grandview Heights. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
WRESTLING
Devin Halliday picked up a win at 165, flipping a 24-21 deficit into a late 27-24 edge, and even though visiting Westerville North managed to get back to even and tie the dual at 36 by the end of things, Delaware Hayes took the hard-fought win courtesy of criteria (winning more matches) Wednesday night.
After North’s Corey Howlett pinned his opponent at 175, putting the Warriors up 30-27, Logan Frye slipped past Evan Cavener to knot things at 30 before the teams traded wins in the last two matches of the night.
Other Hayes winners included Payton Bailey (157), Isaiah Clark (150), Ryan Davenport (132), Lincoln Seymour (120) and Deacon Dutton (113).
Also: Mount Vernon 44, Olentangy Berlin 21.
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Jordan Sullivan poured in a game-best 12 points and Mairin O’Brien added 10 to lead Olentangy Orange to a 40-23 league win over visiting Hilliard Bradley Thursday night in Lewis Center.
The Pioneers built their lead early, outscoring the Jaguars 9-4 in the first quarter and 11-3 in the second. After a 7-7 third, Orange won the fourth 13-9 to put the finishing touches on the win.
