High school basketball: Wasatch Academy stuns No. 1 Columbus 75-73 as Isiah Harwell sinks game-winning free throws in closing seconds

The No. 8-ranked team in the National Top 10 Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) pulled off the biggest upset of early high school basketball season Saturday night, defeating MaxPreps Top 25 No. 1 Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 75-73 at Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta.

Five-star junior Isiah Harwell sank a pair of free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining to give the Tigers the victory. Harwell finished with 15 points and four rebounds on the night.

Wasatch Academy led 36-33 at halftime and stretched its lead to as many as 12 points early in the fourth quarter.

Columbus went on an 8-0 run late in the fourth quarter to take a 70-67 lead with 2:25 remaining.

The Tigers responded with a pair of 3-pointers to take a 73-70 lead before the Explorers splashed home a triple with just under 20 seconds remaining to tie things at 73-73. After Harwell converted a pair of free throws at the other end in the closing seconds, a desperation heave from Michigan State signee Jase Richardson came up short.

The biggest differences in the contest came at the 3-point line and in the turnover department. Wasatch Academy shot 38.7 percent from beyond the arc and turned the ball over eight times while Columbus shot just 20.8 percent on triples and turned it over 13 times.

Under-the-radar senior wing Bhan Buom finished with a team-high 19 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists. Top 50 Ohio State signee John Mobley Jr. finished with 17 points, five assists and three rebounds in the victory.

Reigning MaxPreps National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer finished with a game-high 26 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in the loss.

Columbus (2-1) opened the season with a pair of wins over top 10 opponents before suffering the shocking setback Saturday night. The Explorers look to bounce back next week with a showdown against the top-ranked team in the National Top 10 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) on Dec 1.

Following a slow start to start the season, Wasatch Academy (2-2) picks up one of its biggest wins in program history. The Tigers also defeated AZ Compass Prep (Chandler, Ariz.) when they were ranked No. 1 in the National Top 10 early in the year last season.