The Pioneer’s defense circles the wagons around London’s June Turner, denying him a score. Alder went on to exact revenge on the Red Raiders for an earlier defeat on their home court. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Brian Bayless)
Freshman Danny Bentley scored a career-high 20 points off the bench and Noah Hess added 18 as state-ranked Jonathan Alder positioned itself to win a fifth consecutive Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail Division title.
London, OH – Ask anyone who participated, coached in or watched the captivating showdown between age-old rivals Jonathan Alder and London Friday for the deciding factor in the outcome, expect a few dozen different answers.
Perhaps it was a key defensive stop, a rebound, a clutch shot or free throw, a steal, a turnover or even a questionable call. Choose any of the above, or all of them if you please.
Jonathan Alder third-year coach Derek Dicke offered his own theory on why his Pioneers were able to scratch out a 61-59 overtime win over feisty London and take a huge step toward capturing a Central Buckeye Conference Kenton Trail division championship.
Kurtz has 4 Central Ohio locations: Dublin, Westerville, Sunbury, I-71/Frank Road.
“It was our togetherness, our core values, our culture that made the difference,” Dicke said. “When the going got tough and we needed to make a big play or big stop, everybody had the same look in their eye. They just took a deep breath and came through.”
Veteran central Ohio columnist Steve Blackledge writes the OCC and sports at large for Press Pros.
While that may sound like a lot of coach-talk to some, Dicke’s assessment certainly has some merit. Alder (15-3, 8-1) has won 104 games over the past six seasons, including a district title a year ago. Should the Pioneers hold serve in their final two CBC contests it will mark their fifth straight championship and sixth in seven years. In turn London (10-5, 5-2) has won just one CBC crown (2019) and last won a district championship in 1971.
Moreover, Alder has owned London in the rivalry to the tune of 23-5 over the past two decades. One of these defeats, however, came at home to the Red Raiders 59-45 on Dec. 20.
June Turner tries to draw a charge on Alder’s Noah Hess but Turner was called for a block instead.
“That left the worst taste ever in our mouths to lose to them on our home floor,” Alder senior guard Noah Hess said.
Added Dicke, “You can ask my wife and kids. I haven’t slept all week. This game has been first and foremost on my mind since we lost to them the first time. And there were a lot of stakes riding on this one, too.”
This battle featured some 12 lead changes and seven ties.
London seemed to gain a foothold early in the fourth quarter, grabbing a 44-37 lead with 5:15 left in regulation. But behind the stellar play of freshman Danny Bentley, who scored 13 of his career-high 20 points from the fourth quarter on, Alder fought back to lead twice down the stretch.
Braeden Fox sank two foul shots for London to force a 52-52 tie with 29 seconds left.
The Red Raiders had a chance to post a dramatic win, but Hess stripped the ball from Colin Nickell in the lane then watched his half-court try from mid-court rim out.
It continued to go back and forth in overtime. Bentley sank two foul shots with 31.6 seconds left to give Alder a 59-57 lead.
Want a greener, healthier lawn? We can help. contact Weedman USA at 614-733-3747 or go online to Weedman.com.
After June Turner missed a three-pointer, Chase Muetzel rebounded, was promptly fouled and hit both free throws to seal the win. Alder allowed Cuyler Greenhill to drive coast to coast for an easy layup to account for the final margin as the final two seconds expired with the ball bouncing on the baseline.
Chase Muetzel dials in the second of two free throws that would give Alder a 4-point lead with seconds remaining in overtime to close the books on the Red Raiders.
“I told the guys during the timeout, don’t come anywhere near them or you won’t be playing the next game,” quipped Dickey, a New Knoxville and Otterbein graduate who spent seven seasons as an assistant at Hilliard Bradley.
Hess, who leads the balanced Pioneers at 14.6 points per game, scored 18 to support Bentley, who was superb in his sixth man role. Bentley’s twin brother, Trey, also made a handful of impactful plays, most notably two offensive rebounds off missed free throws in the final minute of regulation. The Bentleys and 6-foot-8 freshman Byron Byerly offer a lot of promise going forward.
“The first 20-point game of my career couldn’t have come at a better time,” Danny Bentley said. “We wanted this game bad and we came ready to go. I think our poise down stretch was the difference. We didn’t breathe easy until Chase hit those last two free throws.”
The jam-packed crowd in Ray Chadwell Gymnasium provided a raucous environment.
Logan Services, in Dayton, Cincinnati, an Columbus, is a proud sponsor of area sports on Press Pros.
Greenhill scored 16 points, Turner 13 and freshman Luke Johnson 11 to pace London. Turner was an All-Ohio player on the Red Raiders’ state semifinal football team.
Jonathan Alder’s Danny Bentley grabs a loose ball during what became a very snarky and physical game with multiple lead changes.
“It was a great game in a great atmosphere and really good for the rivalry,” Red Raiders coach Cody Sarensen said. “Ultimately, I guess they made a few more rebounds and key shots than we did. It’s disappointing for our guys, but we’ve just got to keep focused on getting better every night. Who knows? We might end up seeing those guys again a few weeks down the road.”
Sarensen was referring to the Central District tournament, where both teams are in Division IV in the newly-expanded seven-division format. Alder and London were formerly in Division II.
Heading into the week, Alder was ranked seventh in the state by MartinRPI.com and 10th by MaxPreps.com. River Valley, Heath and London would appear to be its chief competition in the postseason.
“I’m still curious to see how (the expansion) all will work out,” Dicke said, “but obviously knowing that we can avoid teams like Hartley, Watterson and Ready in the new format makes you like your chances a little better.”
The Dave Arbogast family of dealerships is the official transportation source for Press Pros Magazine.com.