LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — A marquee Division II matchup lived up to the billing Saturday as Westerville North edged Lima Senior 69-66 in a battle of top-10 teams.

The Spartans entered ranked 10th in Ohio and second in Division II with an 18-2 record, having won 12 of their last 13 games. Westerville North, the defending Division II state champions, entered at 18-1 as the No. 1 team in Division II and ranked seventh overall in the state.

Lima Senior kept pace throughout the contest.

Early on, Willie Foster attacked the rim and finished off the glass to trim a three-point deficit to one. Later, Amari Addy connected with Dashad Greer for an and-one finish that gave the Spartans a two-point edge.

With Lima Senior trailing by one, Noah Simpson found Addy cutting to the basket for a layup to reclaim the lead. Addy later knocked down a three-pointer to extend the Spartans’ advantage to four. The senior finished with 15 points.

Foster matched him with 15 of his own, highlighted by a powerful right-handed dunk that brought the home crowd to its feet.

Despite the strong showing, the Spartans came up just short as Westerville North secured the 69-66 win.

With the loss, the Spartans fall to 18-3 overall.

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