On a fling and a prayer, Olentangy’s Jackson Mangham throws one up behind his head in the lane as time expires for a spectacular win over the Bears. (Press Pros Feature Photos By Brian Bayless)
It didn’t come easy, but Olentangy ran its record to 12-1 with a wild win over intra-district rival Olentangy Berlin before a fully-engaged sellout crowd.
Lewis Center, OH – The final few seconds of an Ohio Capital Conference Cardinal Division boys basketball showdown between Olentangy and Olentangy Berlin Friday was so chaotic one had to rewind the replay about a half-dozen times to decipher exactly what happened.
Aptus Wealth Management proudly sponsors the Buckeyes and Central Ohio sports on Press Pros.
One thing is for certain. It ended in pure bedlam with a scrum of players piling atop Olentangy 6-foot-9 senior forward Jackson Mangham behind the basket as their jubilant student body rushed the court. After trailing most the way, the Braves prevailed 64-62.
“We practice that (stuff) all the time,” Olentangy coach John Feasel said afterwards, although it was difficult to tell whether he was serious or joking. “How did we pull that out? I don’t know. All we talked about were stops and buckets.”
Veteran central Ohio columnist Steve Blackledge writes the OCC and sports at large for Press Pros.
When Ty Walburn hit a fade away in lane to pull Olentangy even at 62-all with 33 seconds remaining, it was obvious to everyone in the raucous sellout crowd that Berlin was going to play for a final shot.
The Bears ran a play for Luca Fulia, who drove from the top of the key to the basket but was denied by defender Robert Page while Mangham, just behind him, slapped the backboard emphatically trying for the block. Some of the players froze as a screaming fan sounded much like a whistle. Page tried to call out but to no avail.
Rebounder Quentin Page did not flinch, racing downcourt to the 3-point line where he found a streaking Mangham trailing in full stride. As Mangham and defender Colton Less banged chests a step inside the free throw line, the sprawling Mangham flung the ball left-handed at the backboard and it dropped through the net just before the buzzer sounded.
“I just caught it and kind of threw it up there, hoping to beat the buzzer,” said an ecstatic Mangham, who has committed to play tight end for the University of Connecticut next fall.
Feasel figured that Mangham, at worst, was trying to draw a foul.
An ecstatic Braves’ team swarms Jackson Mangham (under the pile) after his buzzer-beating, come-from-behind shot that stunned Berlin.
“Jackson flails all over the place all the time,” he joked. “I guess as a football guy it’s always his mindset to get a PI (pass interference) call.”
Although the game featured eight ties, Mangham’s game-winning basket marked the first time Olentangy had led since early in the second quarter.
The Bears seemed to have the game under control. With a 60-58 lead, Berlin coach Donovon Barrett called timeout just before Noah Bruns sized up an open 3-point shot at the 2:13 mark, presumably to spread the floor, chew clock and make Olentangy use up its foul allotment.
But Quentin Page stole the ball near midcourt and Mike Alexander converted a rebound basket at 1:36 to foil that ploy.
Huffer Chiropractic can help your athlete perform at their best – with offices in Osgood, Jackson Center, Marysville, and Dublin, Ohio.
Walburn, a 6-3 junior guard, scored 25 points and Mangham 17 to pace Olentangy (12-1, 5-0) which took a big step toward securing its second Cardinal title in three seasons and just its sixth in the school’s 73-year history.
Ty Walburn drops in a floater for two of his 25 points on the night over Berlin defender Colton Less.
Olentangy aided its cause by going 21-of-25 at the free throw line.
The Braves’ only defeat came to Norwin, Pa. 54-51 in a holiday tournament.
“Everyone’s been sleeping on us, but we know what we can be,” Mangham said.
Walburn, who hit a last-second game-winning 3-point shot to beat North Canton Hoover on Dec. 27, averages a team-high 15.9 points per game along with 5.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals, concurred.
“We lost a bunch of seniors from last year, but we have a next-man-up mentality, a lot of quality depth and guys who have stepped into roles,” he said. “We’re the kind of team that just keeps battling, and we showed that again tonight.”
Feasel, who played two seasons at Olentangy for his father, John Sr., before joining him at Groveport and graduating there, compiled a 176-126 record in 13 seasons as the Braves’ girls coach before taking the helm of the boys program in 2017.
Logan Services, in Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus, proudly sponsor the best in area sports coverage on Press Pros Magazine.com.
“This has not exactly been a (boys) basketball mecca, but the kids have bought in and we have a good thing going,” Feasel said. “We started off with the program’s best record ever at 8-0 and we’re chasing new goals all the time.”
Noah Bruns goes up in heavy traffic and somehow manages to scoop and score during the first half.
The last time Olentangy posted 15 wins came in 2012-13. Chris Kelly guided the squad to a 16-5 mark in 2005-06. The only team with more wins was the newly consolidated first team in 1953 (21-3).
According to the MaxPreps RPI system used statewide for seeding purposes, Olentangy was ranked third in the Central District heading into the week, just behind Newark and Hilliard Bradley, and 13th in the state.
While Feasel endorsed Walburn for OCC Cardinal player of the year, Berlin (7-4, 2-3) certainly could make a case for Bruns, a 6-3 junior guard who scored 16 points. He came in averaging 21.2. Braylon Green added 15 points and Filia 13 for the Bears, who have made big strides coming off a 6-17 campaign. Three days earlier, they opened eyes with a non-league win at perennial power Olentangy Liberty.
With its fifth straight win in the intra-district rivalry, Olentangy holds an 8-3 edge in the series.
Stunned silence suddenly ruled the boisterous and energetic Berlin student section in the sobering aftermath of a buzzer-beating shot by Olentangy’s Jackson Mangham.
Polaris Pools is proud to sponsor coverage of Olentangy Schools on PressProsMagazine.com. To inquire about a beautiful Polaris Pool in your backyard, go to shearerlandscaping.com/polaris-pools/