High school basketball: No. 3 Imhotep Charter handles No. 4 Columbus 61-44 in City of Palms Classic final

No. 3 Imhotep Charter (Philadelphia) saved its best basketball for the City of Palms finals, dominating Cameron Boozer and No 4 Columbus (Miami) 61-44 on Wednesday to take the prestigious tournament title.

Imhotep Charter (8-0) scored the first 12 points of the game and doubled up Columbus 26-13 at intermission before turning back a second-half push for the 17-point victory.

Rahmir Barno led Imhotep Charter with a game-high 21 points while Justin Edwards added 16, including a handful of highlight-reel dunks in the second half. Ahmad Nowell chipped in 12.

Boozer led Columbus with 14 points and five blocks while brother Cayden Boozer was the only other Explorer in double figures.

Trailing 26-13 at half, Boozer, the nation's top-ranked sophomore, scored seven in the third period as the Explorers trimmed what had ballooned to a 20-point deficit to single-digits multiple times in the third and fourth quarters. When Boozer's 3-pointer from the top of the key cut the Imhotep edge to 38-30, Edwards took over. He drained four free throws sandwiched by a Boozer layup before getting the ball on a slash to the bucket and throwing it down with authority for a 44-32 lead.

For an encore, Edwards did it again following a media timeout for the 14-point Imhotep lead with 5:30 left in the game.

Columbus, which shot 35.8 percent and 18 percent from range, couldn't gain any traction offensively. Cayden Boozer was whistled for a foul with just over four minutes left and Imhotep coach Andre Noble called a time to ensure his players knew to run clock as fans began to head for the exits as the teams played out the string as the Explorers continued to foul late despite being down double digits.

Imhotep scored the first bucket of the game two minutes in and then Barno added a 3-pointer a few trips later before Ahmad Nowell's basket, a second Barno triple and breakaway dunk by Edwards off a steal gave the Panthers a 12-0 lead as Columbus called a timeout that turned into an extended media break.

After the break, Imhotep got am Edwards tip off a miss before Boozer finally got the Explorers on the scoreboard with a layup five minutes into the contest. They trailed 14-6 after one in a game that more lopsided than the tally indicated.

Imhotep's biggest lead was 26-6 as the Panthers had seven points off turnovers in the opening half.