A slow-moving first half saw 40 points scored between the two teams as Columbus held onto a 21-19 advantage at the intermission as the first 16 minutes saw six lead changes.
Boozer came out of the locker room with a quick basket before picking up his third foul two minutes into action. His replacement
Nikola Djapa
immediately stepped in an contributed as he scored five points in
Boozer's absence to extend their lead to 33-27 mid-way through the third
quarter
A quick 5-0 response from Myers Park cut the deficit to one point after a strong layup and and-one from
Bishop Boswell who finished with 18 points and 13 rebounds in the loss.
Bishop Boswell had a big game for Myers Park despite the loss. (Photo: Jeff Robertson)
Columbus closed the third quarter on a 5-0 run to extend its lead to 38-33 after a
Malik Abdullahi dunk and three free throws.
Myers Park opened the fourth on a 6-0 run behind a layup from
Elijah Strong , a pair of free throws from
Sir Mohammed and a fast break dunk from Boswell. But
Benny Fragela provided a fourth-quarter spark for the Explorers with six points on a trio of free throws and a left-corner 3-pointer to bump the Columbus edge to 44-41.
Cayden Boozer extended the Columbus advantage to 52-45 after converting an and-one off a back-door cut, then came the highlight of the contest as Cameron Boozer drove down the lane before tossing an alley-oop to teammate Abdullahi for an emphatic slam and a 56-49 lead.
Made free throws down the stretch helped Columbus seal the deal as the Sunshine State powerhouse continues its strong start to the season.
Top-ranked sophomore Cameron Boozer led the way with 19 points and 14 rebounds in the Explorers'65-56 win Tuesday over Myers Park at the City of Palms Classic. (Photo: Jeff Robertson)
Cayden Boozer contributed nine points, five assists and three rebounds in the win. (Photo: Jeff Robertson)
