Pacers hold off Braves, 59-54

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Jake Lowman and Jesse Burris hit back-to-back three-pointers early in the fourth quarter, helping the host Delaware Hayes boys basketball team finally shake free from visiting Olentangy on the way to a 59-54 non-league win Tuesday night in Delaware.

It was one of the biggest stretches of the night, ballooning a 46-42 lead into a 52-42 edge the Pacers (11-3) parlayed into the win.

The Braves (3-8) got as close as three after a Harrison Ronnebaum bucket in the final minute, but Chase Griggs, just a freshman, calmly connected on a pair of free throws at the other end to help his team hang on from there.

Ronnebaum scored 15 of his game-high 21 points in the second half, nearly single-handedly keeping Olentangy within striking distance down the stretch, but Hayes made more than enough plays in the fourth quarter to put the finishing touches on the win.

After the Pacers’ Carter Piatt-Brown hit a three to make it an 11-point game early in the third, Ronnebaum answered with a triple of his own to make it a 33-27 game with 5:15 left in the period.

Jesse Burris, who led Hayes with 16 points in the win, split a pair of free throws at the other end later in the quarter, but Ronnebaum hit from deep again to cut it to four, 36-32.

Griggs continued the back-and-fourth stretch with a hoop at the other end, but another Ronnebaum three-point play, this time the old-fashioned way, made it a one-possession game heading into the game’s late stages.

Hayes, which picked up its fourth straight win, was too much down the stretch, though.

Griggs backed Burris with 13 points while Hezekiah Russell and Piatt-Brown finished with 11 apiece.

Ronnebaum, meanwhile, was one of three Olentangy players to finish in double figures. Gavin Grover was next with 12 points while Jack Huskey finished with 10 thanks in part to a couple three-pointers.

Next up, Olentangy will travel to Olentangy Berlin while Hayes will host Big Walnut. Both games are slated to tip at 7:30 p.m. Friday night.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

Megan Weakley poured in a game-high 26 points as Big Walnut cruised to a lopsided 74-38 non-league win over host Marion Harding Tuesday night.

The Golden Eagles led 21-4 by the end of the first quarter and only added to their edge from there.

Denza Allan backed Weakley with 13 points while Rae Mitchell also closed in double figures, finishing with 12 points in the win.

River Valley 52, Buckeye Valley 35

The Barons never quite found their form, falling to the visiting Vikings in non-league action Tuesday night in Delaware.

BV trailed, 11-8, after a tight first quarter that saw Emily Huston bury a couple three-pointers, but River Valley used a 10-5 second to take control.

Brooklyn Mosher led the Vikings with a game-best 22 points while Ella Hazelrigg led the Barons with 13. Huston, meanwhile, finished with nine points on the strength of three triples.

Upper Arlington 53, Delaware Hayes 39

The Pacers’ Adrionna Brown scored 20 points, including a game-best four three-pointers, but the host Golden Bears used a strong second half to pull away for a non-league win Tuesday night in Upper Arlington.

UA, which led by just two points at the break, outscored Hayes 21-12 in the third quarter to take control.

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