Preview: Hayes Pacers vs. Olentangy Braves
The Hayes Pacers will head out on the road to face off against the Olentangy Braves at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Hayes has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 808 points over their last 12 matchups.
Last Friday, Hayes strolled past Franklin Heights with points to spare, taking the game 60-43. Given Hayes' advantage in MaxPreps' Ohio basketball rankings (they are ranked 15th, while Franklin Heights is ranked 675th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Even though Olentangy has not done well against Dublin Jerome recently (they were 1-6 in their previous seven matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. In a tight match that could have gone either way, Olentangy made off with a 54-53 win over Dublin Jerome. Winning may never get old, but Olentangy sure is getting used to it with their fifth in a row.
Olentangy's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ulysses Ponder led the charge by scoring 19 points. Ponder is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last six games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Quentin Page, who scored nine points.
Hayes' win bumped their record up to 11-1. As for Olentangy, their win bumped their record up to 7-3.
Hayes didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Olentangy in their previous meeting back in January of 2023, but they still walked away with a 59-54 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Hayes since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
