OxfordPress.com

OXFORD — The Badin High School boys basketball team didn't exactly shut down Talawanda, but the Rams sure made life rough for their county rivals.

Contesting nearly every shot and dominating on the boards, the Rams survived nine lead changes and seven ties to eventually wear down the Braves for a 57-50 road victory Friday night, Dec. 5, in the season opener for both teams.

"I think playing that (scrimmage) last week against Hamilton really helped because once you get one close win under your belt, it's a lot easier to go back out and play a tight one," Badin coach Nick Argentati said.

Rams sophomore Colton Mehlman scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting and grabbed a game-high seven rebounds to lead Badin to a 34-24 edge on the boards. And even though the Rams mostly played zone, Mehlman was a big defensive factor against Josh Claytor, holding the Talawanda senior to nine points on 4-of-10 shooting.

"I'm not used to guarding guys who are two inches taller than me who can also shoot lights out from 3," Mehlman said. "He's a great all-around player, so I just tried to get a hand in his face as much as possible."

With Claytor struggling and in foul trouble, the Braves turned to junior Daryl Wallace, and the former Dayton Dunbar player came through with a game-high 22 points.

But Wallace left the game twice with cramps — once with 5:52 left in the game and his team trailing by three, and again with 1:50 remaining and the Braves down six.

"Give Badin credit," Talawanda coach Michael DeCello said. "They made their shots, and we didn't. But even when you're not making shots, you still have to play defense and rebound, and they really beat us on the boards."

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2193 or jmorrison@coxohio.com.