Basketball Game Preview: Olentangy Braves vs. Big Walnut Golden Eagles

Olentangy has gone 9-0 against Big Walnut recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Saturday. The Olentangy Braves are taking a road trip to face off against the Big Walnut Golden Eagles at 7:30 p.m. Olentangy knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past four matches -- so hopefully Big Walnut likes a good challenge.

If Olentangy beats Big Walnut with 69 points on Saturday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two contests with that exact score. Olentangy walked away with a 69-56 win over Poinciana on Monday.

Olentangy's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Ty Walburn, who went 6 for 8 from beyond the arc on his way to 18 points and five assists, and Carter Hire, who went 5 of 11 on his way to 18 points. What's more, Hire also racked up four assists, the most he's had since back in December of 2023. Ulysses Ponder was another key player, putting up six points along with seven steals and six assists.

They weren't the only one working in the assists department: Olentangy was working as a unit and finished the game with 20 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, Big Walnut lost to Hayes at home by a 70-53 margin on Friday. The Golden Eagles have struggled against the Pacers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.

Olentangy's victory bumped their record up to 7-2. As for Big Walnut, their loss dropped their record down to 5-3.

Olentangy took their win against Big Walnut in their previous meeting back in February of 2022 by a conclusive 66-41. Will Olentangy repeat their success, or does Big Walnut have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.