Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) and Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) – No. 1 and 4, respectively, in MaxPreps’ Xcellent 25 boys basketball rankings – posted victories Saturday at Georgetown Prep in North Bethesda, Md., to earn a berth in the championship game of the ESPN Rise National High School Invitational.Findlay Prep's Bradley had 27 points Saturday.File photo Henny Ray Abrams (McDonald The winners tangle Sunday afternoon to determine which team, probably, will be the 2008-09 national champion.
In the first semifinal game, Oak Hill (40-0) eliminated stubborn St. Benedict’s (Newark, N.J.), 74-66, in a game that remained fairly close throughout. Senior guard Lamont Jones sparked the winners, scoring 14 points in the first half. Senior guard Tamir Jackson finished with 20 points for No. 13-ranked St. Benedict’s (24-3).
Findlay Prep, though having just eight players, throttled No. 5-ranked Montrose Christian (Rockville, Md.), 60-43, with a collapsing zone defense and the all-around brilliance of senior guard Avery Bradley, who scored 27 points and was a defensive demon. The losers shot just 3-for-26 from the field in the first half.
