In
the game of the day — and what may have been the game of the year in
high school basketball — top seeded
La Lumiere (LaPorte, Ind.) remained unbeaten with a
74-69 double overtime victory over
Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas) in the opening round of GEICO Nationals in New York.
Bishop
Gorman couldn't miss from deep Thursday against the Lakers, going 13-of-25 from
the 3-point line and playing with an electric energy on
the defensive side of the ball.
The Gaels were able to send things into overtime after
sophomore guard
Zaon Collins answered a
Keion Brooks 3-pointer on the
other end with an NBA-range trey of his own with four seconds to go.
Video: Montverde Academy vs. University at GEICO Nationals Defending national champions prevail in rematch of last year's title game.
The
first overtime session, much like the entire game saw little difference
between the two sides, as a buzzer beating layup from
Wendell Green Jr.
just rimmed off.
In the second overtime, it was a
Gerald Drumgoole offensive rebound and putback with 1:14 remaining that stretched the La Lumiere lead to 72-69. The Lakers forced a turnover the ensuing possession and they wouldn't allow another basket, escaping with the tightly contested victory.
No. 1 seeds remain unbeaten at 11-0 in event history, with five of those meetings now decided by five points or less.
Here's a look at Thursday's other quarterfinal matchups:
In the first game of the day, the Ascenders used a 12-0 run in the second quarter to open up a 24-13 lead and never looked back, stretching their lead to as many as 19 in the second half.
The win was IMG's first at GEICO Nationals in two appearances (the other coming in 2017). Junior guard
Jaden Springer finished with 26 points on 11 of 14 shooting while running mate
Noah Farrakhan went for 19 points.
IMG forced Sunrise Christian Academy into 18 turnovers. jumping in the passing lanes and applying constant defensive pressure throughout the impressive showing. The Buffaloes saw jump one player in double figures as Grant Sherfield had 13 points in the loss.
Precious Achiuwa rises for a bucket during Montverde Academy's 65-57 win over University on Thursday.
Photo by: Steven Ryan
No.
3 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) 65
In a rematch of last year's GEICO Nationals title game, a back-and-forth affair saw Montverde Academy pull away late after a 17-0 run in the fourth quarter stretched the Eagles lead to 60-44
Unsigned senior guard
Harlond Beverly pulled Montverde through some early struggles, finishing with a team-high 25 points.
Although the defending GEICO Nationals champions struggled to find their groove after a nearly two month layoff, they showed the ability to win without their stars making a major impact. 5-star junior
Cade Cunningham and McDonald's All-American
Precious Achiuwa combined for just 14 points but were big on the boards with a collective 15.
The Sharks were led by Duke commit
Vernon Carey Jr., who finished with 15 points and 11 boards. Class of 2020 forward
Scottie Barnes played all 32 minutes, tallying 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Top unsigned senior
Cole Anthony had the performance of the day for Oak Hill Academy, finishing with 30 points and 11 rebounds in an opening-round victory.
In a game that Oak Hill Academy led throughout, Wasatch Academy battled back to cut the Warriors lead to just three points late in the third quarter.
The victorious Warriors made all four of their free throws down the stretch along with a pair of stops on defense to clinch the seven-point victory.
The win against the Tigers was the Warriors first against a Top 25 opponent this season.
For Oak Hill Academy, recent Georgia commit
Christian Brown added 12 points Illinois-bound big man
Kofi Cockburn finished with 13 points and eight rebounds and
Cam Thomas finished with 16 points, five boards and three assists.
