The Olentangy Liberty girls basketball team started fast and clamped down on the defensive end late to notch a convincing 56-27 win over visiting Olentangy Orange Tuesday night in Powell.
The Patriots set the tone with a 20-point first quarter. They led 30-18 at halftime and allowed just nine points in the second half to put the finishing touches on the win.
Gigi Bower led the charge with 18 points while Taylor Redman and Jordan Rich finished with nine apiece.
Grace Deller and Jordan Sullivan finished with five points each for the Pioneers.
Delaware Hayes 58, Franklin Heights 27
Chloe Jeffers scored at least 30 points for the second straight game as the Pacers pounded the host Golden Falcons to open league play Tuesday night in Columbus.
Jeffers, who hit a pair of three-pointers and finished 10-for-11 at the charity stripe, closed with 30 points. Samantha Toney also had a solid night, finishing with 17 points in the win.
Canal Winchester 46, Big Walnut 35
Kate Ratliff finished with 15 points and Rory Chapman added 14 as the Indians handled the visiting Golden Eagles Tuesday night in Canal Winchester.
Jordan Walters had 10 points to lead Big Walnut in the setback.
Thomas Worthington 48, Olentangy Berlin 22
Nene Garner scored a game-best 15 points and the defense took care of the rest as the Cardinals cruised to a league-opening win over the host Bears Tuesday night in Delaware.
Deanara Mbouge had nearly half her team’s points, finishing with 10 to lead Berlin.
The Cardinals set the tone with a 14-6 first quarter and never looked back.
Marysville 57, Olentangy 31
Ava Krutowskis poured in 19 points and Jojo Eberhart had 11 to lead the visiting Monarchs to a league-opening win over the host Braves Tuesday night.
Camryn Cummings had 11 points to pace Olentangy.
BOYS BASKETBALL
Jesse Burris drilled a half-court three to send the game to overtime and Hezekiah Russell hit a corner three to force double OT as Delaware Hayes outlasted visiting Marion Harding 59-56 on Tuesday night.
Russell, who hit five three-pointers on the night, finished with a game-high 21 points in the win. Burris, who was 6-for-6 at the free throw line, was close behind with 20.
Wes Stokes led Marion Harding with 13 points.
Big Walnut 54, Mount Vernon 42
Will Baden and Ryan Tripp finished with 12 points apiece to lead the Golden Eagles to a win over the visiting Yellow Jackets Tuesday night in Sunbury.
Big Walnut outscored Mount Vernon 32-20 in the second half to pull away.
Olentangy Berlin 61, River Valley 50
The Bears used an 18-6 second quarter to erase an early deficit on the way to a non-league win over the host Vikings Tuesday night.
Berlin, down 23-14 after one, outscored River Valley in each of the final three quarters, including 18-13 in the fourth to pull away.
Derek Goodman led the way with 17 points while Abel Abenet was close behind with 15 in the win.
Buckeye Valley 74, Wellington 46
The Barons jumped out to a 25-5 first-quarter lead and cruised from there on the way to a win over the host Jaguars on Tuesday night.
Owen Osborne led BV with 20 points while Troy Scowden and Mason Kurtz closed with 17 and 15, respectively.
