High Schools

DAYTON — The real test for Aaron Pogue is this morning's ACT exam. That four-hour grinder should be easy compared to his Friday night gig.

"This is a whole group of new guys," said Pogue, a massive 6-foot-9 center who willed Dunbar over visiting Chicago Dunbar, 67-53, in Friday night's nonleague boys high school basketball game.

"Most of them have never played varsity for real. They're used to (graduated) Daequan (Cook) being here. We're going to miss him and all that. I got a new team. I got to build a better chemistry and stuff like that."

That would be a good start, because there are plenty of holes to plug for the defending Division II state champs. Often going with Pogue, 6-10 Josh Benson and 6-8 Anthony Oden, Dunbar flexed its frontcourt muscle for a 13-0 lead, then ran out of fumbling options.

Pogue was the most consistent of the 2-0 Wolverines. Many of his 19 points came on stickbacks. He also ruled the boards with 18 rebounds and a block. But his free-throw touch was as cold as the evening air: 5-for-17.

Chicago Dunbar (3-4), from the tough Public Schools League, went small to hustle back into contention, drawing within nine halfway through the final quarter. Pogue answered by scoring seven of the Wolverines' final 11 points.

"They're very strong and they got a great tradition going on down here in Dayton," said Chicago coach Culumber Ball.

"We put our pants on just like they put their pants on. We had our fatigues on. They just high-lowed us to death."

Dayton Dunbar guard Norris Cole added 11 points, but just two in the second half. Benson scored 10 points.

Dayton Dunbar coach Pete Pullen has seen better from the Wolverines.

"We just stunk up the place," he said. "It's a learning process for them and the coaching staff."

• The Wolverines (2-0) are at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse at Indianapolis with a 9 p.m. date today with North Central, featuring All-American guard Eric Gordon.

• Cook and OSU freshman teammate Greg Oden watched Friday's game. Both are likely to be regulars for Wolverine home games since Oden is the older brother of Anthony Oden.

• Josh Johnson, a 6-6 starting forward, is out indefinitely after suffering a knee injury in practice this week.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2381 or mpendleton@DaytonDailyNews.com.