SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — In a battle of three-time defending state champions, No. 2
Columbus (Miami, Fla.) secured a wire-to-wire 75-65 victory over No. 8
Perry (Gilbert, Ariz.) led by 31 points, 13 rebounds and three assists from five-star Duke signee
Cameron Boozer on Monday at the Spalding Hoophall Classic.
Boozer terrorized the Pumas defense in the first half, scoring the first five points of the game before piling up 20 points on 7 of 9 from the field to help Columbus build a 39-26 halftime edge.
The Explorers continued to pour it on early in the third quarter as the Boozer twins scored the first five points of the second half to stretch their edge to 44-26. Columbus would stretch their advantage to as much as 24 points in the third quarter before Perry scored the final three points of the quarter to cut the lead to 62-41.
Five-star Duke signee Cameron Boozer led No. 2 Columbus to a 75-65 victory over Koa Peat and Perry on Monday. Boozer had 31 points and 13 rebounds. (Photo: Lonnie Webb)
The Pumas extended their run into the fourth quarter as they scored the first nine points of the period to cut the deficit to 62-50 with 5:56 remaining. Although Perry cut the margin down to nine points multiple times in the fourth quarter, the Pumas were unable to complete the comeback.
In addition to Cameron Boozer's impressive outing, four-star junior
Jaxon Richardson chipped in 16 points and 10 rebounds while
Cayden Boozer contributed 11 points, eight assists and four rebounds in the victory.
Despite racking up four fouls in the first half, five-star senior
Koa Peat overcame a 1-9 start from the field to finish 6-of-18 with 18 points, three assists and three blocks in the loss. Peat scored 13 of his points in the second half to lead the comeback.
Columbus shot 49.1 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from 3-point range and 84.2 percent from the free throw line while pulling down 38 rebounds in the victory. Perry shot 41.1 percent from the field, 18.2 percent from 3-point range and 77.3 percent from the charity stripe.
With No. 1 Roosevelt (Eastvale, Calif.) losing earlier in the day, the big-time win opens the door for Columbus to move back up to No. 1 in the MaxPreps Top 25 tomorrow. The Explorers began the season as the No. 1-ranked team in high school basketball.
Columbus (17-3) returns to the court on Friday for another monster showdown with National Top 10 No. 3 Montverde Academy (Montverde, Fla.) in a rematch of the City of Palms Classic game. Columbus won the previous meeting 59-57.
Perry (16-2) looks to bounce back from the tough loss when they face off against Brophy College Prep (Phoenix, Ariz.) on Saturday.
Columbus senior Cayden Boozer had 11 points, eight assists and four rebounds in the victory. (Photo: Lonnie Webb)
