Trailing by 10 points late in the third quarter, the Kenton Wildcats knew something had to change if they wanted to win their Western Buckeye League opener with Celina on Friday night. So the Wildcats turned up the defensive heat on the visiting Bulldogs to create a more uptempo game.

McGUFFEY — The Upper Scioto Valley Rams came to play on both ends of the court in Friday night’s boys basketball contest, making quick work of Hardin Northern by forcing turnovers and controlling the glass. The starting five for the Rams all finished in double figures as they helped their team to a 73-21 win over the Polar Bears in their Northwest Central Conference opener.

MOUNT BLANCHARD — It didn't take the Riverdale boys basketball team long to figure out why Pandora-Gilboa leads the Blanchard Valley Conference in points per game, rebounds per game and allows the second-fewest points per game in the conference.

ADA — A 15-5 first quarter advantage for Ada was enough to keep the Allen East Mustangs at arm’s length for the remainder of the boys basketball contest Friday night, with the Bulldogs taking the 40-32 win. Ada improves to 2-2 on the season, while the Mustangs drop to 2-3.

SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Shawnee outscored Ben Logan 14-7 in the second quarter to grab a halftime lead and went on to a 47-32 win over Ben Logan on Friday night. The Raiders fall to 2-4 overall, 0-2 in the Central Buckeye Conference, while Shawnee improves to 3-2, 2-0.

The Kenton Middle School seventh grade boys basketball team was defeated by Elida 46-44 on Thursday The Wildcats, who fall to 2-2 on the season, were led by Tyson Lawrence’s 19 points.

DOLA — Leading 13-12 with six minutes left in the first half, the Upper Scioto Valley girls basketball team turned up the heat on Hardin Northern. The Ram defense used its pressure to force the Polar Bears into turnovers on back-to-back possessions, sparking an 10-2 run that gave them control of the game and propelled them to a 50-30 victory in the Northwest Central Conference matchup.

CELINA — Layne Taylor had a career-high 31 points, including 23 in the first half, to lead the way as Kenton pulled away from Celina 78-48 in a Western Buckeye League girls basketball battle on Thursday night.

MOUNT BLANCHARD — It’s a question the Riverdale girls basketball team’s coaching staff is trying to come up with an answer to: How to avoid the first-quarter stumble. In the Falcons' contest against Hopewell-Loudon on Thursday, the Chieftains raced out to a 22-point first-quarter lead, as the Falcons didn’t score until Brooke Kuenzli’s floater in the post early in the second quarter.

DEGRAFF — Ridgemont held Riverside to one point in the second quarter to take control of the contest on the way to a 42-27 victory in Northwest Central Conference girls basketball action on Thursday.