Nate Linhart Leading Scorer in All-Star Tilt

[Captain Kangaroo]

I like how the 2nd leading scorer is torn between Findlay and Can't State...

Balanced OCC wins second straight over City

Thursday, April 7, 2005

JARROD ULREY

ThisWeek Staff Writer

By David J. Yunker/ThisWeek

Watterson's Ryan Ferst drives past Worthington Christian's Colt Cunningham last Friday during the District 10 Division II-III-IV All-Star Game at Worthington Kilbourne. Ferst scored 24 points with four 3-pointers for the Dark team in a 121-99 loss to the White team. Cunningham had 13 points for the winners.

When the OCC all-stars began preparing for the District 10 boys basketball game last Friday against the City League at Worthington Kilbourne, one of the things coach Ken Braun of Groveport stressed was getting everyone involved.

That's exactly what happened, and inevitably the OCC's balanced offense held off a late rally by the City to win 110-107. The OCC has won the last two contests and is 5-2 since the rivalry was renewed in 1999.

"With these all-stars, there was still a competitive edge of wanting to win the game," said Braun, who led his team to a Division I district runner-up finish.

"When we got together and started practicing, I told them, 'I want you to have fun and I want you to share the basketball with each other.' They did a good job of making opportunities for each other and I was happy with all of them."

Gahanna's Nate Linhart had eight points and four rebounds during his 10 minutes in the first half as the OCC built a 52-38 halftime advantage, and then he scored eight of the OCC's first 10 points in the second half as the OCC built a 62-43 advantage with 18 minutes, 1 second remaining.

The City, behind Linden's Shaun Gunnell, Mifflin's Cordaryl Ballard and Africentric Secondary's Donald Suel, stormed back with a barrage of layups and 3-pointers.

Gunnell had 15 points during one 10-minute stretch of the second half, including one 3-pointer, Ballard made four 3-pointers in the second half and Suel added two.

Suel had 19 points in the second half and finished with 30. He was named game MVP. Gunnell finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds and Ballard added 22 points. Linden's Sam Payne had nine points in the first half and finished with 16.

"At first everybody was just lolly-gagging around, but then we just started playing," Suel said. "It's fun getting a chance to play with people around the City and just learning how to play with other players."

Linhart, who has signed with Akron, led the OCC with 18 points. Westland's Josh Bostic added 15, Gahanna's Kollin Hancock and Groveport's Brandon Johnson both finished with 14 and Worthington Kilbourne's Mounir Benzegala had 13. Benzegala made three 3-pointers and Johnson had two.

"We knew we just had to play defense and try to get smarter shots," said Bostic, who is considering Can't State and Findlay among his college options.

"It was definitely bragging rights if nothing else. Nate Linhart, I thought, played well. Mo Benzegala, Justin Patrick, really the whole team, played as a whole. We just played team ball."