Top-ranked
Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) took down No. 2
IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.) 55-51 in a hotly-contested, nationally-televised high school basketball showdown Sunday night at the St. James NIBC Invitational. In the biggest game of the season, the highly anticipated No. 1 vs. No. 2 battle went down to the wire as the Eagles escaped behind a clutch, contested layup by star center
Jalen Duren with 30 seconds remaining to extend the lead to five.
The Eagles trailed 2-0 but used a 15-3 run to end the first quarter. IMG Academy remained close throughout the game after cutting a 14-point deficit to six entering halftime.
A back-and-forth second half saw both teams struggle from the field as IMG Academy shot 11-of-31 from the field while Montverde Academy was 7-of-16.
Michigan pledge
Caleb Houstan came up big in the win, finishing with a team-high 16 points on 3-of-6 shooting from the field and 8-of-11 from the free throw line. Second-ranked junior prospect Duren struggled offensively but finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and six big blocks, including the key layup down the stretch.
The victory extends the Eagles win streak to 39 dating back to the
start of last season and pushes their season mark to 14-0. Montverde Academy is 6-0
this week at the St. James NIBC Invitational — with five wins
coming against Top 25 opponents.
The defending national champions extended their win streak over the Ascenders to four after going 3-0 last season against their Sunshine State rival. IMG Academy was the last team to beat Montverde, a 74-73 win in the 2019 GEICO Nationals semifinals.
Both teams return to the court Monday against Top 10 opponents as IMG Academy faces No. 3 Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.) tomorrow at 3 p.m. (Eastern) and Montverde Academy follows with a game against No. 9 Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah). Both are televised on ESPNU.
Ryan Nembhard, Montverde Academy
File photo by Annette Wilkerson
