Lions Pull Away in Second Half to Defeat Niles McKinley, 59-43

PEPPER PIKE, OH- The Orange Lions tipped off their postseason journey in the OHSAA tournament with a strong showing on their home floor, defeating the Niles McKinley Red Dragons 59-43.

The opening half was a tightly contested battle, as both teams traded baskets and momentum. Orange managed to take a slim 26-24 advantage into the locker room at halftime, setting the stage for a decisive second-half push.

That push came in the third quarter.

The Lions erupted for a 19-7 run coming out of the break, turning a narrow two-point lead into a comfortable double-digit advantage. Orange’s defensive pressure intensified while the offense found its rhythm from beyond the arc.

Leading the charge was Dillon Mathur, who delivered a standout performance with 27 points. Mathur was electric from three-point range, knocking down seven shots from behind the arc to fuel the Lions’ surge.

Niles McKinley was powered by Joey Lehman, who poured in 23 points of his own, also connecting on seven three-pointers to keep the Red Dragons within striking distance. Despite Lehman’s sharpshooting, the Lions’ balanced effort and strong third quarter proved too much to overcome.

With the win, Orange advances to the next round and will travel to Glenville Tarblooders on Friday for a 7 p.m. tip-off as they continue their OHSAA tournament run.

Alex Doyle 2-0-0-4

Joey Lehman 7-2-2-23

Cash Carey-Hardin 4-0-0-9

Mason Burns 1-0-0-3

Trey Davis 1-2-2-4

Wyatt Federer 1-0-0-3

Jaylhin Sheppard 2-0-0-6

Dillon Mathur 10-0-2-27

Aaron Lewis 5-3-6-14

Jonah Marderstein 1-0-0-3

Peter Daberko 2-0-2-4

Ryder Osterman 0-2-2-2