Video: Brian Bowen HighlightsFive-star recruit helps La Lumiere advance to Dick's Nationals championship game.The dream is still alive for
La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.).
The top-seeded Lakers utilized a 15-0 run at the start of the third quarter to earn a 54-52 victory over
Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) on Friday in the Dick's Sporting Goods High School Nationals semifinals.
La Lumiere will make its second consecutive championship game appearance after losing in overtime to
Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in 2016.
Five-star guard
Brian Bowen stepped up for La Lumiere with a game-high 19 points and seven rebounds while Michigan State signee
Jaren Jackson added 11 points and seven rebounds.
MORE: Dick's Nationals Bracket
The two teams also met in early January at the Cancer Research Classic in West Virginia with La Lumiere winning 69-54.
It looked like things might go the other way Friday until La Lumiere took control with a 24-7 blitz in the third quarter. Findlay Prep went 14 of 35 from the free throw line, including a pair of misses with five seconds remaining in the game.
Kentucky-bound power forward
P.J. Washington tallied a team-high 13 points, five rebounds and five assists for Findlay Prep.
Sophomore R.J. Barrett of Montverde Academy has been tough to stop at Dick's Nationals, leading the Eagles to the final.
File photo: John Jones
It was the
R.J. Barrett show in the first game Friday at Dick's Nationals.
The nation's top-rated sophomore, a 6-foot-7 guard, dropped a game-high 26 points as Montverde Academy ran away with a 27-point win.
Barrett had 21 points by halftime and Montverde Academy's stifling zone resulted in a dismal 2 of 22 shooting performance from beyond the arc for Greensboro Day.
UNC commit
Rechon Black also made a big impact for the Eagles with 12 points. Temple commit
J.P. Moorman notched 10 points and was the only Bengal scorer in double figures.
Barrett has put up 50 points in two games at Dick's Nationals.
Montverde Academy will meet La Lumiere at noon (EDT) on ESPN. Montverde won the Dick's Nationals title in 2013, 2014 and 2015 while La Lumiere will be looking for its first championship.
