Everyone in the standing-room-only Ohio Expo Center Coliseum expected a good game, probably a great game when Northland met Gahanna Lincoln in the Division I Region 3 final Saturday, March 20.

The Vikings were undefeated and the No 1-ranked boys basketball team in not only the state, but the country, and the Golden Lions, also undefeated, were Ohio’s D-I No. 2-ranked squad.

But hardly anyone expected an outcome like this.

Gahanna shot lights out, making 23 of its 38 field goal attempts, and blasted Northland, the 2009 D-I state champion, 71-45.

“We figured we needed a little Villanova vs. Georgetown, whatever year that was,” said Lions coach Tony Staib.

“We have tremendous shooters, and we have multiple players that can knock down threes.

“A lot of things went right, but I’ll tell you what, I hope everybody knows we’ve got a good team.”

The Lions (26-0), with their first-ever regional title, will meet Massillon Jackson in the D-I state semifinals at 8:30 p.m. Friday, March 26, at Ohio State’s Schottenstein Center.

Northland (23-1) got off to a 9-2 lead, with J.D.Weatherspoon and Jared Sullinger kicking off the action with dunks. But Gahanna got back into it with the help of three-pointers by Sam Bott and Justin McDowell to tie the score 10-10.

The Lions then made 10 of their 12 shots in the second quarter, including threes by Stevie Taylor, Rob Brandenberg and Anthony Jackson, for a 33-22 halftime advantage.

The lead expanded to 41-22 in the third period with two more treys by Bott and free throws by Brandenberg before the Vikes got another point, a foul shot by Sullinger at 5:46.

Northland never really recovered. Gahanna was up 60-32 in the final frame before the Vikings had an 11-4 run.

Of Gahanna’s four double-figure scorers, Brandenberg had 19 points, Taylor 17, Bott 14 and Jackson 12. In their final prep game, Sullinger had 24 points and Weatherspoon 11.