Groveport Madison- Upper Arlington Prospect Report
After a postponement of their game at Hilliard Bradley tonight, the Golden Bears of Upper Arlington (3-3; 1-2 in OCC) instead traveled up route 33 and down Hamilton Rd. and visited Groveport Madison (2-2; 1-1 in OCC) in an emergency…
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Continue ReadingAfter a postponement of their game at Hilliard Bradley tonight, the Golden Bears of Upper Arlington (3-3; 1-2 in OCC) instead traveled up route 33 and down Hamilton Rd. and visited Groveport Madison (2-2; 1-1 in OCC) in an emergency OCC clash. Once Upper Arlington figured out the full court press of Madison, they broke it time and time again, giving way to multiple layups. In the end, the combination of Quinn Corna Quinn Corna 6'3" | SG Upper Arlington | 2022 State OH ’s 27 and Nick Heath’s 17 proved too much as Upper Arlington took down Groveport Madison 64-55.
After a nice smooth start to the game that a Scotty Lomax three and the start of Quinn Corna Quinn Corna 6'3" | SG Upper Arlington | 2022 State OH ’s first half bash, sloppy play dominated the middle portion of the first quarter. Multiple turnovers, bad shots and air balls from both teams made things look bad a little while. The Golden Bears got comfortable towards the end of the quarter and Quinna Corna scored seven points in the frame as Upper Arlington pushed ahead to a 13-9 lead.
Groveport thundered out early in the second quarter, started by Markell Holmes off the bench with a steal and a free throw which was followed by an Elyjah Aekins and-1 to tie the game at 13. Madison pulled away for a 19-13 lead which Upper Arlington again tracked down and eventually took the lead until Kenyatta Whiteside’s three-pointer tied the game at 21. But right before the half, Quinn Corna Quinn Corna 6'3" | SG Upper Arlington | 2022 State OH knocked down two free throws to go into the half up 23-21.
The Golden Bears came out in the third quarter and Nick Heath took over, scoring from deep, and staying at the free throw line because of his constant attack of the defense. Once Upper Arlington took over, they kept Groveport at bay and was never really threatened again. Lomax’s 16 points led the way for the Crusaders and Elyjah Aekins provided extraordinary defense as well.
Prospect Report:
Quinn Corna Quinn Corna 6'3" | SG Upper Arlington | 2022 State OH – Junior; Upper Arlington: From the opening tip, he was in attack mode, getting to the basket consistently and finishing around the rim. Corna also put on display his soft touch in the mid-range and got to the free throw line many times in the second half. The junior also showed off his range by draining a deep three-point jump shot. He was also pretty good on defense, rotating well and keeping his hands active to get a couple steals and start transition offense for his team. Corna and his back court mate were spectacular on Friday.
Nick Heath- Junior; Upper Arlington: A quiet first half, namely because of Corna’s explosion, Heath made up for it with a 15-point outburst in the second half. This young man was aggressive coming out of intermission, getting the ball after his guard broke the press and got to the rack where they could not help but foul him. He sank every free throw he took, with the ball barely even touching the net because it was so pure. Heath also showed off a nice passing gift, hitting cutters and showing good awareness and accuracy on his passes.
Scotty Lomax- Senior; Groveport Madison: Lomax had a quiet first half after knocking down the first triple of the game but he came back to life in the second half and tried to get his team back in the game. He had an impressive fast break dunk as well to show off his athletic ability. Lomax also showed off his increased range by sinking three three-point jump shots as well, answering many of the questions scouts have about him. The freaky athleticism of Lomax is eye-popping and easily transferable to the next level, his game tonight also showed that his complete offensive game is able to match his athletic ability.
Elyjah Aekins- Senior; Groveport Madison: Although he only scored seven points, Aekins was wonderful on defense. He made things difficult in the first half for the opposing guards and was able to switch and defend any ball handler on the court. Aekins slowed down the Golden Bear offense and even made Corna work for his shots when he was asked to defend him. The on-ball pressure that was applied by Aekins impressed this writer and the 5-foot-11 senior showed that he is versatile on that end of the court.