Boys Basketball: Delaware Hayes races past Olentangy, 81-58
Tuesday, January 16, 2024
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Delaware’s Jesse Burris goes to the basket against Olentangy during the Pacers’ win on Jan. 16 at Olentangy. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Jesse Burris described the frenetic pace of the first half like, “Playing in an open gym with your friends.” The Delaware Hayes and Olentangy boys basketball teams combined for 70 points in the opening half.
But it was Burris’ 3-point play to open the second half that started a 12-point run and the visiting Pacers cruised to an 81-58 win in the non-league game on Jan. 16.
“It’s definitely fun to play (that style), but we needed to be a little more under control,” said Burris, a senior guard/forward. “We took careless shots – I thought our shot selection wasn’t the best – especially in the first half.
“We knew we had a size advantage – we knew we wanted to get into the paint. When I got the ball in the paint, I was able to finish it and … I just kind of smelled blood from there.”
Burris scored nine of 16 points in the third quarter as an already stout Delaware offense exploded for 29 points.
It wasn’t entirely clear whether Delaware coach Adam Vincenzo was aware of his choice of words when he said his team, “had the horses to run” with anybody.
Puns aside, he’s right. The game served as a demonstration of what the Pacers can be.
Delaware’s Landon Vanderwarker, who led all scorers with 27 points, scores against Olentangy on Jan. 16 at Olentangy. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Delaware had 20 assists on 31 field goals, led by Burris with five. He also had a game-best eight rebounds as the Pacers held a 29-19 advantage.
Landon Vanderwarker went for 27 points to lead all scorers and added four rebounds, three blocked shots and three steals and Chase Griggs added 10 points.
Drew Banaszak had four assists and four steals – all in the first half for the Pacers, who improved to 12-1 and received votes in the latest AP state poll.
Jeremiah Russell had eight points, Carter Piatt-Brown had seven points, four rebounds and three assists, Will Sims added six points and Garrett Brown dished out three assists.
“This is the perfect blend of personnel and we’re deep,” Vincenzo said. “We’ve got guys that play for one another and I think we can beat (teams) in a lot of ways.”
Olentangy pulled as close as three points midway through the third quarter after Delaware’s hot start.
“We did a lot of good things offensively, but I looked up at the scoreboard and it was a one-possession game,” Vincenzo said. “With the way they shoot the basketball – they score in bunches. I thought we guarded with effort – our execution just wasn’t great defensively. (Olentangy) can play with anybody with the way they shoot the basketball.”
Olentangy’s Jackson Wiley (5) battles for a rebound with Delaware’s Chase Griggs (35) on Jan. 16 at Olentangy. Photo: John Hulkenberg
But the Pacers closed the quarter with the last 11 points, including a buzzer-beating 3-pointer by Griggs.
Carter Hire hit four of Olentangy’s 10 3-pointers and finished with 16 points, Jay Agrawal had 15 points and three assists, hitting three from long range as well, and Ulysses Ponder had 11 points, four assists and three rebounds to lead the Braves.
“(Delaware is) really good,” said Olentangy coach John Feasel, whose team fell to 7-4. “We said (to our team before the game) that this was an opportunity for us to see where we’re at. We’re in first place in our league and that’s good. But we play these teams … to see where we are in the district. And right now, we’re not very good – we have things to work on.”
The Braves host Marysville on Jan. 19 with the two tied for first place in the OCC-Cardinal Division. Olentangy has not won a league title since 1992 when it was in the Buckeye Athletic Conference.
“I told the guys they’ve got to keep their heads up,” Feasel said. “Our biggest focus is playing on Friday against Marysville and winning that game and going 5-0 in the league. It’s tough because I know the 14-, 15-, 16-, 17-year-old kids I have (see that) we got beat by 29. We gotta just learn from it and get better.”
Delaware is embroiled in a league battle of its own, tied with Westerville North atop the OCC-Capital at 6-1. The Pacers, seeking their first league title since 2014, travel to Big Walnut on Jan. 16 and host the Warriors on Jan. 23.
Delaware’s Chase Griggs secures the ball against Olentangy during the Pacers’ win on Jan. 16 at Olentangy. Photo: John Hulkenberg