Dick’s Nationals: Miller Grove stuns No. 7 Findlay Prep

Video: Miller Grove's Alterique Gilbert in action
McDonald's All-American will take his talents to UConn next season.

If there was a controversial inclusion in the field at Dick’s Sporting Goods High School Nationals, it was Georgia AAAAA state champion Miller Grove (Lithonia).

The Wolverines carried an impressive 30-2 record with them to New York City but fell outside the Top 100 in the MaxPreps Computer rankings and faltered in key out-of-state matchups with Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.) and Lone Peak (Highland, Utah).

But on the final day of March, Miller Grove provided some madness at Dick’s Nationals by upsetting No. 7 Findlay Prep (Henderson, Nev.) 67-65.

Head coach Sharman White’s team advances to meet No. 2 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) in the semifinals on Friday, while No. 3 Montverde Academy (Fla.) and No. 10 La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) meet on the opposite side of the bracket.

SEE DICK’S NATIONALS BRACKET

One night after playing in the McDonald’s All-American Game, UConn-bound point guard Alterique Gilbert led Miller Grove (31-2) to the victory with 20 points and four assists.

Raylon Richardson added 12 points and Colin Young 10 for the Wolverines, who have won Georgia state titles in seven of the past eight seasons.

Skylar Mays scored 21 points while P.J. Washington added 15 for Findlay Prep (28-2) in a losing cause.

No. 3 Montverde Academy (Fla.) 70
No. 9 Providence Day (Charlotte, N.C.) 54

Three-time defending Dick’s Nationals champion Montverde Academy (26-1) pulled away late to extend its win streak at the event to 10 games.

Freshman phenom R.J. Barrett led the Eagles with 20 points and seven rebounds. Fifteen different players logged minutes for Montverde Academy, who also received double-digit scoring efforts from Davonta Jordan (11) and Silvio de Sousa (10).

Tennessee-bound senior Grant Williams (12 points) and sophomore guard Devon Dotson (11) kept Providence Day (30-4) afloat for a half, but Montverde’s size and depth wore down the NCISAA Class 3A state champions in the end.

No. 2 Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) 81
Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) 64

Wasatch Academy stormed to a 10-0 lead to start the game and led 18-10 after one quarter but Oak Hill Academy turned things around with a big second quarter.

The Warriors (43-1) outscored the Utah squad 28-9 and stretched the lead to as many as 19 in the fourth quarter.

Five Oak Hill Academy players finished in double figures, led by Lindell Wigginton with 17. Khadim Sy, a 6-10 junior, added 13 points and 10 boards.

Canadian Josip Vrankic tallied 18 points and six rebounds to pace Wasatch Academy (29-4).

No. 10 La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) 60
No. 8 St. Benedict's Prep (Newark, N.J.) 59

In Thursday's opener, La Lumiere (26-3) preserved its slim advantage by repelling three game-winning attempts in the last 10 seconds from St. Benedict's Prep.

The Lakers (26-3) played just five players but held the lead for over 20 minutes in the contest. The victory avenged a late December loss to St. Benedict's Prep.

Junior guard Brian Bowen led La Lumiere with 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting from the field. Junior post Jeremiah Tilmon contributed nine points and 10 rebounds.

James Scott paced St. Benedict's Prep (34-2) with 18 points. Junior center Bourama Sidibe – a native of Mali – added 13 points and 12 rebounds.