File photo by Jim Redman
James Bell, Montverde Academy
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) has a duo to be reckoned with in James Bell and Jamail Jones.
Bell busted out for a game-high 23 points and Jones had 12 points and 10 rebounds in a 62-47 win over Westchester (Los Angeles, Calif.). In the pair of big wings’ opening-game win Saturday, it was Jones with a large 32 points while Bell had 13.
Jones, a transfer from Greenforest Christian in Decatur, Ga., signed with Marquette during the fall signing period while the returning team leader Bell signed with Villanova.
“We compliment each other really well. We can both slash and shoot the ball from deep, and one of us is usually doing one or the other, or sometimes both like yesterday,” Jones said. “I think we’re one of the top teams in the country when we both play like we have been and when everyone defends and shares the wealth.”
After a first half where neither team could gain a real edge, the third quarter opened with Bell knocking down back-to-back three-pointers and another just minutes later. It was part of a 15-2 Montverde run and forced a Westchester timeout at 4:11 with the score 33-25.
The start of the final quarter would be very similar as this time it was Jones getting things going with a big baseline dunk followed by two baskets by Steve Mondu-Missi. An easy break of the Westchester press saw Haukur Palsson drop in a three-pointer of his own and a 9-0 run to start the fourth.
After 18 first-half points, Montverde erupted for 44 second-half points to take down Westchester.
“We emphasize defense and keep a points per possession statistic. Tonight in the second half we stopped them eight straight times and scored on five of those,” Montverde Academy head coach Kevin Sutton said. “We’ve consistently defended these past two games and that’s what we hang our hat on.”
File photo by Jim Redman
Austin Rivers, Winter Park
The City of Palms championship bracket semifinals are now set with a pair of Florida vs. New Jersey battles. Montverde faces Paterson Catholic and Winter Park meets St. Benedict's Prep.
Winter Park's Austin Rivers, proving to be one of the top offensive talents in the country, drew two of the toughest draws with Cory Joseph of Findlay Prep, a top defender in the senior class, on Saturday and then Dai-Jon Parker of Milton, the top athlete in the event, on Monday.
In Winter Park’s 73-64 victory over Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.), Rivers scored 21 points and had big assistance in the form of 22 points from Brett Comer and 16 and 12 rebounds from Robert Lovaglio.
Rivers was off to a hot start with 16 first half points, fighting off full-court defensive pressure from fellow junior Parker.
The two 2011 standout guards put on a show that had the gym buzzing.
Rivers would score on a three-pointer from right wing out of a side pick-and-roll, finish an alley-oop in transition for a dunk, and then come up with a big block on a Milton fast break that led to a Winter Park run out basket.
Parker soared in for rebounds that had him reaching high above the glass, elevated for a shot-block out of nowhere with a jet-quick leap off the floor, and sank a three-pointer at the first quarter buzzer.
The teams would trade baskets and defensive stops throughout the second half until Comer scored with contact and completed the three-point play with a made free throw, giving Winter Park a 69-61 advantage with two minutes to play that served as the dagger.
“I was happy with how the team kept the same intensity on both ends of the floor,” Winter Park head coach David Bailey said. “We continued to push the ball, took advantage of the opportunities presented to us and played really well on the defensive end.”
Junior Julian Royal led Milton with a 24-point, 13-rebound effort. Classmate Shannon Scott scored 18 points to go with six assists. Sophomore forward Evan Nolte added 10 points while Parker would finish with eight points and seven rebounds in the loss.
St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) 71, St. Frances (Baltimore, Md.) 54
Myck Kabongo (Texas commitment) had 19 points and four steals, Aaron Brown (Temple commitment) had 17 points, and J.P. Kambola had 10 points, seven blocks and six rebounds as St. Benedict’s poured it on in the fourth quarter.
The intensity ratcheted up in the deciding eight minutes with the Gray Bees holding a 50-40 lead. Kabongo got in the lane and knocked down a pair of free throws after drawing contact. Junior big man Sidiki Johnson (Arizona commitment) crashed the offensive boards, Kambola controlled the defensive glass, and Mike Poole had a pair of baskets inside to extend the lead to what would ultimately be the deciding advantage.
Sam Cassell Jr. kept St. Frances alive in the third with back-to-back jump shots to close the quarter before missing a buzzer-beater try.
Kambola was a force from the start with three blocks in the game’s opening minutes. Johnson added an emphatic block of his own while trailing a St. Frances fast break.
St. Benedict’s finished with 13 steals and nine blocks.
Dante Holmes led St. Frances with 19 points and nine rebounds while Cassell Jr. had 13 points.
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 87, Dunbar (Fort Myers, Fla.) 50
Thomas Laerke hit three three-pointers and Tristan Thompson (Texas signee) was active inside to get it started for Findlay in a surprisingly-close first quarter. Godwin Okonji and Jabari Brown turned it up the rest of the way as the Pilots eventually pulled away in dominant fashion.
Brown led all scorers with 24 points. Laerke finished with 17 points, Okonji went for a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds and Thompson had eight points and eight rebounds.
“We had to get back to playing better defense. Jared Sullinger killed us inside in the Northland game and I played horrible myself,” senior point guard Cory Joseph said. “We’re back on track and just need to keep playing smart basketball, hard defense and as a team in general.”
Sagemont (Weston, Fla.) 56, Dudley (Greensboro, N.C.) 44
Sagemont shot 50 percent from the field and capitalized on an off-game from Dudley junior sharpshooter P.J. Hairston.
Fab Melo (Syracuse signee) and Will Sheehey (Indiana signee) scored 17 points a piece for the winners. Melo added 11 rebounds.
“I thought we executed well and got off to a good start which is always key,” Sagemont head coach Adam Ross said. “Then we put the foot on the accelerator and put ourselves in a good position to play more conservatively to finish the game.”
Sagemont began to pull away late in the third quarter when it extended its lead to 38-28 behind a pair of baskets inside by Sheehey.
Dudley would hang around and match scores throughout the fourth quarter. That was until a dagger of a three-pointer by Chris Penny stretched it to 54-39 with 2:21 remaining.
Hairston (North Carolina commitment) had 18 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in the losing effort.
De La Salle (Chicago, Ill.) 57, Bartow (Fla.) 40
A low-scoring affair through three quarters saw four De La Salle players finish in double-figures scoring as junior combo forward Mike Shaw led the way. Shaw, still recovering from a wrist injury that came when he was undercut in the team’s second game of the year, scored 12 points while playing through foul trouble.
“We had to come out and be physical, match their intensity, and our guys played hard. We left it all out there today,” Shaw said.
Troy Torrence had 11 while D.J. Bland and Rob Robinson scored 10 a piece. Robinson also added nine rebounds, four assists and five steals from the point guard spot.
“We felt like we let one slip away here on Friday at this great event,” De La Salle head coach Tom White said. “Today we came back and now have a chance to play the best. This is the best tournament we could find that offers this type of top competition. In 25 years we haven’t had the chance to play the No. 1 team in the country – until tomorrow.”
De La Salle squares off with Findlay Prep in the consolation bracket Tuesday.