MVP Lonzo Ball helps Huskies become first California team since Mater Dei in 2008 to capture crown in Fort Myers.
Video: Overtime finish in the City of Palms Classic championship gameChino Hills outlasts The Patrick School to become the nation’s No. 1 team.Lonzo Balll may have missed a one-and-one at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime, but he more than made up for it throughout his 36 minutes of play.
The
Chino Hills (Calif.) senior guard, rated the No. 7 senior player in the country by 247Sports, had 20 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as the Huskies (9-0) defeated
Patrick School (Elizabeth, N.J.) 66-60 in the championship game of the 43rd annual City of Palm Classic Wednesday night.
Elizjah Scott had 15 points and Ball's younger brothers
LaMelo Ball and
LiAngelo Ball had 13 and 11 respectively to offset the big three of
Jamir Harris,
Bryce Aiken and
Cyril Langevine Patrick School, who combined for 44 of the team's 60.
With the victory, Chino Hills vaulted from No. 3 to No. 1 in the MaxPreps Xcellent 25 national rankings, presented by the Army National Guard.
Chino Hills won four straight at the prestigious tournament, including an 83-82 quarterfinal win over previous No. 1 and defending mythical national champion Montverde Academy. In that game, the Ball brothers combined for all but six of Chino Hills' points.
All three of the Ball brothers are either signed or committed to UCLA.
Next stop for Chino Hills in roughly 80 miles east of home in Palm Springs, site of the 13th annual MaxPreps Holiday Classic Dec. 26-30. Chino Hills opens with Seattle Prep (Seattle, Wash.) on Saturday.
