North Central hosted a Holiday Tournament on Wednesday and Thursday. The Panthers have won the tournament six straight years and looking to make it seven this season.

Springboro looked comfortable early in the game as they hit a three-pointer on the first possession. The comfort level decreased dramatically when North Central extended its defensive pressure to full court. The turnovers and rushed shots came in an avalanche at that point.

North Central senior forward Emmanuel Little was fantastic early in the game. He hit a couple threes plus a post move that he finished with a dunk. He scored 11 points in the opening half.

Springboro composed itself later in the half against North Central’s pressure. They cut the North Central lead to 27-20 with three minutes left in the half. Unfortunately for Springboro, the game was never closer than that.

Kris Wilkes picked up his aggressiveness in the second quarter and continued it into the second half. The UCLA-bound forward didn’t score in the first period but made up for it after that. He finished the game with 23 points and 12 rebounds in just 23 minutes of game action.

As North Central pulled away, sophomore Garrett Powell was a bright spot for Springboro. He had ten points and a couple rebounds in 10 minutes of playing time. Springboro struggled overall from the field (36%). Powell was 3-5 from the field and 3-4 from the line. He looked more comfortable than most of the Springboro players.

North Central won going away 81-55.