Beat goes on for NCH
Trojans topple Taft 82-70 at Cintas Center
By Tom Groeschen
Enquirer staff writer
The message was sent, as it often is, with a thunderous Bill Walker slam dunk.
Walker scored with a soaring jam just off the opening tip, and North College Hill went on to beat Taft 82-70 in their heavily hyped boys' basketball game at Xavier's Cintas Center on Monday.
A sellout crowd reported at 10,560 - just over capacity - watched the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day matinee.
NCH (13-0), ranked No. 2 nationally by USA Today, rode Walker's early slam to a 17-2 burst to start the game.
It was 21-4 before Taft regrouped and 21-9 after one period.
"I think they were a little stunned," said Walker, who finished with 22 points and five dunks. "We wanted to get out early in the first quarter and take control."
Taft (11-1), ranked No. 2 behind NCH in The Enquirer Divisions II-IV area poll, fought back to make it a game.
But the Senators, despite a few runs, never came closer than an eight-point margin after the early NCH barrage.
Princeton beat Hughes 68-66 in the day's first game at XU. Princeton is No. 7 and Hughes is No. 2 in The Enquirer Division I poll.
Junior guard O.J. Mayo scored 23 points for NCH and had eight rebounds, despite second-half foul trouble. Walker had 22 points and seven rebounds, and sophomore guard Courtney Davis scored 20 for the Trojans. Keenan Ellis, the Trojans' 6-foot-11 junior center, had only three points but had six rebounds and two blocked shots.
Walker, a 6-foot-6 forward rated among the top five juniors nationally by most scouting services, is known for his monstrous dunks.
The 6-foot-5 Mayo, the country's No. 1-ranked junior by most scouts, had three slams of his own.
Walker also drew oohs and aahs by
missing three dunk attempts, including one that rocketed off the back rim and bounced out back past halfcourt.
For Taft, junior guard Monsonna Torbert led the way with 22 points.
Senior guard Heath White had 17 points, playing on a slightly injured foot suffered in last Friday's Mount Healthy game. Senior guard Eddie Gray had 16 points for Taft.
NCH coach Jamie Mahaffey credited Taft for battling back.
The Senators got some perimeter shots from Torbert and Gray that drew NCH defenders out a bit, and Taft was able to work inside for a few layups late in the game.
"We got a little complacent and lackadaisical at times, but we still kept our composure and kept our lead out there," Mahaffey said. "It was a great atmosphere with such a big crowd."
Brandon Russ and Tyrone Bradshaw, Taft's pair of 6-foot-8 senior big men, are normally double-figure scorers but were shut out by NCH's sagging man-to-man defense inside.
Russ and Bradshaw both were scoreless and both fouled out, with a combined five rebounds.
"We got ourselves back in the game despite all that, but it's frustrating that everybody didn't play the roles they were supposed to," Taft coach Mark Mitchell said. "North College Hill is very good, and their role players all played their roles."
The game drew a variety of fans and several familiar faces from the college and prep basketball scenes.
Xavier coach Sean Miller and most of his players were on hand, as was former University of Cincinnati coach Bob Huggins.
Many players and coaches from Cincinnati high schools were in the stands.
NCH downplayed any "Game of the Year" talk, as the Trojans seem to play at least one monster game a week.
NCH victories this year include beating local Division I powers St. Xavier and La Salle, and last weekend's 69-67 win over reigning Division I state champ Canton McKinley.
"It's just another game for us," Walker said, "but it's always good to win."
North College Hill (13-0) - Walker 8 6 22, Mayo 9 3 23, Ellis 1 1 3, Butler 4 0 8, Davis 8 4 20, Leary 1 0 2, Glover 2 0 4. Totals: 33 14 82.
Taft (11-1) - Gray 4 5 16, Torbert 9 0 22, White 6 5 17, Reveals 2 0 5, Kinley 2 2 6, Benton 2 0 4. Totals: 25 12 70.
NCH21182122-82Taft9201526-70
3-pointers: NCH 2 (Mayo 2), T 8 (Torbert 4, Gray 3, Reveals).
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