Pilots overcome 18-point in second half to beat Montverde Academy in overtime.
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) rallied from an 18-point deficit in the second half Saturday to beat
Montverde Academy (Fla.) 86-83 in overtime and win its third ESPNHS National High School Invitational in four years.
The Pilots (32-1) – ranked No. 2 in MaxPreps.com's Academy Top 10 – piled up an incredible 47 points in the final 12 minutes of play covering the fourth quarter and overtime to stun a Montverde Academy (23-4) squad playing its best basketball of the season.
Brandon Ashley, Findlay Prep
File photo by Lonnie Webb
Arizona signee
Brandon Ashley scored 31 points on 9 of 12 shooting from the field and 13 of 14 from the line, making his final game at Findlay Prep arguably his best. The Bishop O'Dowd (Oakland, Calif.) transfer scored 25 points after halftime.
Nigel Williams-Goss (17 points),
Anthony Bennett (13 points, 9 rebounds),
Dominic Artis (10 points) and
Winston Shepard (10 points) also turned in double-digit scoring efforts for the Pilots.
Point guard
Kasey Hill continued his stellar play at the event for Montverde Academy, producing 23 points and six assists. In three games at the NHSI, the 6-foot-1 junior – tabbed the No. 16 prospect in his class last week by MaxPreps – averaged 20.6 points and 6.3 assists per outing.
George Washington signee
Patricio Garino, a native of Argentina, contributed 20 points and seven rebounds for the Eagles, who looked to be on their way to avenging a loss to Findlay Prep in the 2010 NHSI championship game.
Montverde Academy, in its first season under head coach Kevin Boyle, led by nine at halftime and stretched the lead to 18 at the 3:17 mark of the third quarter.
