Less than 24 hours after competing in the McDonald’s All-American Game in Chicago,
Thomas Bryant showed up big for No. 8
Huntington St. Joseph Prep (W.Va.) in quarterfinal action at Dick’s Sporting Goods High School Nationals in New York City.
Bryant, a 6-foot-10 senior being hotly pursued by Indiana and Missouri, scored 27 points and grabbed 19 rebounds as the Fighting Irish advanced with a dramatic 73-70 win over No. 4
Wheeler (Marietta, Ga.).
"I tried to sleep on the bus and plane coming to New York but coach [Arkell Bruce] always stresses mental toughness. My body was tired but I had to mentally fight through the fatigue," Bryant said.
Huntington St. Joseph Prep versus Wheeler was one of four quarterfinal contests Thursday at Christ the King High School in Middle Village. The event will likely crown high school basketball’s national champion.
Miles Bridges (left) and Thomas Bryant (right) of Huntington St. Joseph Prep rise to stop a shot attempt by Wheeler's Darius Perry. Bryant turned in one of the day's special performances at Dick's Nationals in New York City.
Photo by Steven Ryan
The Fighting Irish (31-2) looked to be in control with a 63-49 lead early in the fourth quarter, but Wheeler (30-3) stormed back with a 19-4 run and took the lead 68-67 in the closing minutes.
The West Virginia independent powerhouse tied the contest with a free throw, then junior guard
Curtis Jones scored in transition off a turnover and was fouled with 15.4 seconds remaining. Jones, who finished with 23 points, connected from the charity stripe to make it 71-68 and the Fighting Irish held on from there.
Jaylen Brown,
247Sports.com’s No. 2 senior prospect, was heroic in the loss for Wheeler. The 6-7, 215-pound wing scored 29 points and snared 15 rebounds.
No. 1 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 72
No. 24 Wings Academy (Bronx, N.Y.) 63
Oak Hill Academy led by as many as 21 points in the third quarter, but New York state champs Wings Academy clawed back to make things uncomfortable for the top-ranked Warriors down the stretch.
As has been the case all season,
Dwayne Bacon was tough to slow down for Oak Hill Academy (46-0). A prototype NBA shooting guard at 6-6 with the skills to match, Bacon paced the Warriors with 21 points.
Junior forward
Joe Hampton contributed 13 points — including a couple of 3-pointers during a crucial third quarter run — for the nation’s No. 1 team.
Hofstra pledge
Desure Buie notched a game high 22 points for Wings Academy, which entered the tournament with a 15-game win streak. Georgetown-bound big man
Jessie Govan, a 6-10, 250-pound center, added 21 for the Wings.
No. 2 Montverde Academy (Fla.) 50
No. 9 Greensboro Day (N.C.) 34
Peter Agba defends Montverde's Ben Simmons.
Photo by Steven Ryan
Two-time defending Dick’s Nationals champion Montverde Academy outscored Greensboro Day 24-6 in the second and third quarters, cruising to its seventh win in a row at the event dating back to 2013.
MaxPreps National Player of the Year candidate
Ben Simmons posted a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds for Montverde Academy (29-1).
The Eagles also got a big effort from Georgetown-bound senior forward
Noah Dickerson, who tallied a team high 20 points to go along with six rebounds.
Akron-bound forward
Peter Agba was the only Greensboro Day (33-3) player to score in double figures with 12 points. The Bengals shot just 30 percent from the field.
Montverde’s victory sets up a semifinal showdown Friday with Findlay Prep. The two programs have combined to win five of the six titles at Dick’s Nationals (previously known as the National High School Invitational).
No. 11 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 63
No. 5 Blanche Ely (Pompano Beach, Fla.) 50A 21-6 fourth quarter surge sparked by senior guard
Allonzo Trier and ferocious inside play on defense sent Findlay Prep (29-2) to the semifinals.
Trier, a 6-4 senior guard who also played in the McDonald’s All-American Game on Wednesday night, led the Pilots with 18 points. The future Arizona Wildcat scored seven points in a row during a key stretch in the fourth quarter that put the game away.
Junior forward
Justin Jackson added 16 points and six rebounds for Findlay Prep while sophomore
P.J. Washington notched a double-double with 10 points and 12 boards.
Blanche Ely (28-1) struggled to find the basket in the second half, hitting just 5 of 27 field goal attempts in the final 16 minutes. Senior guard
Javon Heastie paced the Tigers with 16 points.
