Jason Morrow:
Future150 National Editor/ Midwest Recruiting. Covering high and middle school basketball. OH,IN and IL.
Westerville, OH (Future150) -- The calendar may say it is December 26, but the game being played inside of Westerville South High School on Saturday night felt much more like the middle of March.
2015 forward DJ Dingess scored nine straight points to spark a game-closing 19-3 run over the final five minutes of the game as host Westerville South knocked off previously unbeaten New Albany 69-54 on Saturday night. The senior had 11 of his 15 points in a second half that saw Dingess and the Wildcats (7-0, 3-0) outscore the Eagles 48-26 over the final two quarters of action. 2017 forward B.J. Duling led a very balanced New Albany (5-1, 3-0) attack with a team-high 10 points.
That second half stretch by Wildcats could not have seemed like anything more than a farfetched dream after the opening two quarters of play. The athletic playmaking of 2015 forward Chris London had stifled Westerville South in the early going, and the Eagles doubled up the 'Cats at one point in the first half, leading 26-13 before a late push cut the margin to single digits.
2015 big man and Army-commit John Miller was seemingly well on his way to a double-double, with six points and seven rebounds as the Eagles led 28-21 at the break. Miller was able to handle his own against the big 2017 center Kaleb Wesson, who was hindered by foul trouble early on, and finished with five points and eight rebounds on the night,
Thanks to 2017 forward Antoine Smith, Westerville South was able to quickly cut into the Eagles lead, and his triple with 2:29 left in the quarter gave his squad their first lead of the night at 44-42. Smith had all seven of his points in the last five minutes of the third, his buzzer-beater gave South the lead to end the frame up 46-45.
Just as Smith dominated late in the third quarter, it would be Dingess who took over in the fourth, and he certainly made a huge impact late in the win. Not only did the senior score nine straight, but it was his and-one keyed from an offensive rebound off a free throw with 1:50 left that sealed the victory for Westerville South. His final basket of the night put the 'Cats up 62-54, and they would add in seven consecutive points after that to hand the Eagles their first loss of the year.
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