High school basketball: No. 1 Montverde Academy blows past No. 8 Columbus 89-61 as top-ranked Duke signee Cooper Flagg flirts with triple-double

By Jordan Divens Dec 1, 2023, 4:15pm

Eagles dominate from opening whistle led by balanced attack that saw three players score 18 or more points.

In a dominant showing Friday night, National Top 10 No. 1 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) blew past MaxPreps Top 25 No. 8 Columbus (Miami, Fla.) 89-61 paced by a game-high 23 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three steals from top-ranked Duke signee Cooper Flagg.

The Eagles stifled Columbus on both ends of the court from the opening whistle, jumping out to a 25-6 lead at the end of the first quarter before stretching their advantage to 47-18 at the half and 65-37 at the end of the third period.

The overwhelming talent gap was evident throughout the contest as Montverde's execution was simply on another level in the anticipated showdown.
Cooper Flagg drives to the basket Friday night in Montverde Academy's lopsided win over Columbus (Photo: Chris Spears)
Cooper Flagg drives to the basket Friday night in Montverde Academy's lopsided win over Columbus (Photo: Chris Spears)
Alongside Flagg, Montverde Academy was led by a balanced offensive attack. Five-star Indiana signee Liam McNeeley chipped in 20 points and eight rebounds, four-star Baylor signee Robert Wright III tallied 18 points, five rebounds and four assists and five-star Georgia signee Asa Newell went for 13 points, five rebounds and three assists in the win.

Although he struggled in many ways Friday night, reigning MaxPreps National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer still filled the stat sheet with 20 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals in the loss. The Eagles forced him into eight turnovers in the contest.



The biggest difference in the box score came in the rebounding department where the Eagles took advantage of their size and imposed their will, grabbing 18 more boards than Columbus in the contest. Montverde Academy outscored Columbus 46-22 in the paint.

Columbus (2-2) looks to bounce back from back-to-back losses with a showdown against defending state champion Riviera Prep (Miami, Fla.) on Tuesday.

Montverde Academy (6-0) returns to the court tomorrow to take on Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) at 7 p.m.
Asa Newell (left, No. 14) and Flagg were a big reason why Montverde Academy dominated on the boards and in the paint against Columbus. (Photo: Chris Spears)
Asa Newell (left, No. 14) and Flagg were a big reason why Montverde Academy dominated on the boards and in the paint against Columbus. (Photo: Chris Spears)