Boys Basketball: Olentangy Orange finds a way to beat Grove City
Saturday, January 13, 2024
By Michael Rich
mrich@cbussports.com
Olentangy Orange’s Devin Brown (right) works against Grove City’s Jack Reber on Jan. 13 during the Battle of the 614 at Ohio Dominican. Photo: John Hulkenberg
When Devin Brown stepped to the line with 8.9 seconds remaining, he felt an odd sense within himself like he had been there before.
The junior forward took a breath and calmly knocked down a pair of free throws to give the sixth-ranked Olentangy Orange boys basketball team a 45-43 win over Grove City in the Battle of the 614 on Jan. 13 at Ohio Dominican’s Alumni Hall.
Brown had been there before … and not all the long ago. He made a pair of free throws with 2.5 seconds left to give the Pioneers a 52-50 victory over Hilliard Bradley in OCC-Central Division play on Jan. 9.
“I had been in that situation before, so I kinda had déjà vu,” said Brown, who led all scorers with 17 points and added six rebounds to help the Pioneers improve to 11-0. The Greyhounds fell to 9-3 overall. “I didn’t think about it. I just shot (and they went in).
“We didn’t play well at all, but we found a way to win. That’s what’s good about it.”
Olentangy Orange’s Keegan Knupp (right) tries to block the shot of Grove City’s Kyland Meldon on Jan. 13 at Ohio Dominican. Photo: John Hulkenberg
Keegan Knupp forced an offensive foul on a screen to give the Pioneers the ball back on the previous defensive possession. Knupp had 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists.
Dylan Joy hadn’t made a shot all night before burying 3-pointers on consecutive possessions – the latter coming with a minute left to tie the game, setting up the final sequence. They were his only points of the night.
“I felt like they just took me out of my rhythm and I couldn’t get shots,” he said. “I’ve been shooting my whole life and I just trusted myself. The coaches believed in me (and they) told me I would hit some. And I did. So, I just trusted them and trusted myself.”
Orange hadn’t led since opening the game 4-0 before the Greyhounds responded with a 9-0 run.
Kraig Gilbert sparked them with four of the team’s six blocked shots in the first half to keep Orange out of rhythm.
“We’ve got a really good post player with really good timing,” Grove City coach Eric Saxton said. “He’s one of the best high school shot blockers I’ve ever seen. There’s not really a whole lot you can do as a coach to game plan. It’s kids playing the game and reading it and we’ve got a very good one that does that well.”
Grove City led by as much as nine on a couple of occasions in the second half.
Grove City’s Kevin Gallagher looks to score over Olentangy Orange’s Devin Brown during the Battle of the 614 on Jan. 13 at Ohio Dominican. Photo: John Hulkenberg
But the Pioneers finally found their way back. Levi Davis, who struggled with turnovers earlier in the game had two rebounds and assisted on two baskets to help Orange pull within one.
Treyton Schroeder finally tied it with a 3 with 3:55 remaining. But it was short-lived as Keegan Holmstrom responded with one of his own on the next possession.
Davis had five rebounds and three assists and Schroeder had three steals.
“I was very nervous about today,” Orange coach Anthony Calo said. “(Grove City) is very physical and they play hard. They have a superstar (in Gilbert) and they surround him with shooters. They’re a very good team.”
Grove City’s effort was a little more balanced. Kevin Gallagher had 10 points, four rebounds and three assists and Holmstrom and Jack Reber had eight points apiece.
Gilbert finished with seven points and five rebounds to go with his four blocks and Kyle Meldon had seven rebounds for the Greyhounds.
“Our game plan was to put (Orange) in a position to shoot shots that we felt were lower percentage shots,” Saxton said. “It worked for a long time. They hit a very big one at the end. But other than that, they had to earn everything they got.
“We lost the game and we had complete control of it and we made mistakes at the end. At the end of the game, it was Grove City errors that cost us.”
Grove City’s Kraig Gilbert defends the shot of Olentangy Orange’s Levi Davis on Jan. 13 at Ohio Dominican. Photo: John Hulkenberg