City of Palms Classic Tuesday: Columbus, Long Island Lutheran, Don Bosco, Mater Dei win
A roundup of the games played Tuesday at the 50th annual City of Palms Classic at Suncoast Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College.
Columbus' Jase Richardson, Boozer twins ride explosive second half to victory
Columbus 73, Archbishop Ryan (Pa.) 38: A sleepy start wasn’t enough to keep the Explorers down for very long.
Ryan (3-2) held Columbus (6-2) to just 7 points in the first quarter, but, once the Explorers settled and figured out the Raider defense, it turned into a steamroll.
“I feel good,” Columbus head coach Andrew Moran said. “We started off a little slow, but their zone was active and they deflected a lot of our passes. Once we cleaned that up and we continued to cut and find the open pockets, I think we figured it out.”
Columbus had a 25-18 lead in a competitive first half, but the Explorers were able to dominate the rest of the way, outscoring Ryan 48-20.
Michigan State commit Jase Richardson led the team with 17 points and grabbed 8 rebounds.
“I felt like my team was just putting me in positions to score,” he said. “We were moving the ball pretty well in the second half. I just felt like I was able to get the open looks and I got them.”
Cameron Boozer, ranked as the top junior in the country, posted 16 points and 8 rebounds while his twin brother Cayden Boozer scored 11 points and assisted on 8 buckets.
“Once the ball starts moving and you have these three guys who can really, not just score but make plays for other people, we play at a high level,” Moran said.
FGCU commit Darren Williams led the Raiders with 16 points. After he scored 11 points in the first half, it was a point of emphasis for the Explorers to try to shut him down.
The game plan worked, along with adjustments to the tempo of the contest.
“They want to play a slow pace and we were playing at their pace, which they did a really good job of in the beginning of the game,” Moran said. “We want to try to play at our pace, which is fast, out in transition, and once were able to get stops, rebound and get out, I think that turned the game around.”
Next up for Columbus is a date Thursday with Link Academy.
“The field this year is really strong,” Moran said. “That’s why we play here – to go up against the best players and the best teams.”
Dylan Harper outduels future teammate Ace Bailey in blue-chip matchup
Don Bosco 76, McEachern 50: Dylan Harper won the battle of the Scarlet Knights on Tuesday evening, beating future Rutgers teammate Ace Bailey both on the scoreboard and in the scoresheet.
The Indians came out and hit three-straight triples to start the game. But that would be the most effective stretch of the night, however, as McEachern went on to finish at 35 percent shooting as a team and 28 percent from behind the arc.
Despite the No. 2 and No. 3 seniors going head-to-head, the deciding factor ended up being 7-foot-1 sophomore Keiner Asprilla. The big man set the tone early for the Ironmen, and posted a double-double before halftime. The Indians struggled to rebound, and it opened up easy looks for Don Bosco.
“We got killed on the backboards,” said McEachern head coach Tremayne Anchrum. “[Asprilla] killed us in the first half. I mean, he basically kept them in the game. That was his game in the first half.”
Asprilla finished with 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting with 14 boards.
Bailey scored 13 points in the second quarter to keep things in check for the Indians. But Harper would not be outdone and scored 13 of his own in the third quarter as the Ironmen began to run away with the game.
“I had a pretty good game, I think,” said Harper. “There’s little things I could’ve done better, but overall my teammates put me in a position to succeed.”
As Don Bosco’s offense picked up steam, McEachern’s plateaued.
“It’s tough because when Ace is shooting like that and the other guys aren’t making shots, their confidence goes down,” Anchrum said.
On top of the chance to match up on high school basketball’s biggest stage, the two blue-chips were fighting for bragging rights, and Harper came out on top. Harper tallied a game-high 28 points on 11-17 shooting while going 4-of-8 from behind the arc, along with eight rebounds and three assists.
Bailey finished with a team-high 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting with seven boards. No other Indian cracked double digits.
“Dylan’s got something he can hold over Ace for the rest of his life,” Anchrum said laughing. “Next year, I’d hate to see what that dorm room looks like.”
“This is historic, for us to play against each other,” Bailey said. “Then to be playing together at the next level, we’re just having fun with it. It was just fun.”
Long Island Lutheran's V.J. Edgecombe and Kayden Mingo shine in victory
Long Island Lutheran (NY) 83, Westminster Academy 59: An explosive third quarter led to a smooth win for the Crusaders.
The Lions controlled much of the first half but couldn’t keep up once the Crusaders picked up the aggression out of halftime.
LuHi (6-0) outscored Westminster (5-1) 28-10 in the third quarter with V.J. Edgecombe and Kayden Mingo doing much of the damage.
Edgecombe led the team with 20 points, along with 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Mingo scored 17 points and recorded 6 steals. Kiyan Anthony added 12 off the bench.
“I was pleased with how we responded after halftime,” LuHi head coach John Buck said.
At the half, Buck said he told his players that if they don’t turn it around, they would be playing in the 9:30 game tomorrow morning.
“They’re competitors,” he said. “That was unlike us. I just encouraged them to get back to themselves and they did that.”
Westminster’s Alex Constanza led all players with 23 points. Dwayne Wembley Jr. and Alex Lloyd added 17 and 16 points, respectively.
Together, they combined to score 33 of the Lions’ 34 points in the first half.
Challenging other players on Westminster to score was crucial in the lopsided second half. The Lions had no points off the bench compared to 21 for the Crusaders.
“We keyed in on those guys, made other guys try to beat us and they executed that gameplan,” Buck said.
LuHi will face off against Don Bosco Prep in the quarterfinals on Wednesday.
Blake Davidson propels Mater Dei over Windermere
Mater Dei 71, Windermere Prep 47: Blake Davidson had 16 points to lead Mater Dei over Windermere Prep in a Sunshine Series game Tuesday.
The Monarchs, who earned their 27th victory in City of Palms play, will play Riviera Prep from Miami at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday.
Mater Dei had 18 assists as players constantly looked for teammates. Guard Brady Karich had eight assists and no turnovers.
“We usually shoot better,” Mater Dei coach Gary McKnight said. “They play pretty well as a team. There’s no selfish bones, they move the ball. We also have nine kids with 4.0 GPAs. Our average is 3.6. They’re really sharp.
Luke Barnett had 15 points, Brannon Martinsen 13, and Owens Verna 11 points and 12 rebounds. The Monarchs had a 44-30 edge on the boards.
Malachi Martis scored 13 and Sinan Huan added 11 for Windermere Prep.
Jeremy Jenkins, Riviera Prep muscle past Victory Christian in Sunshine Series
Riviera Prep 73, Victory Christian 56: The Bulldogs’ size proved to be too much to handle for the Storm in the first round of the Sunshine Series.
Both teams started the game on fire from behind the arc, going a combined 9-of-15 in the first quarter. Riviera Prep struggled to convert in the paint, and Victory Christian played above their height on the boards. The Storm’s effort down low helped them win the rebound battle in the first half, and down just 10 points headed into the half.
But 6-foot-8 freshman Jeremy Jenkins had other plans in the second half. He made the most of Victory Christian’s lack of size and punished the Storm inside. Jenkins finished with a game-high 20 points, while 7-foot Gustavo Guimaraes put up 7 points and 7 boards while battling early foul trouble. 6-foot-4 guard Dantel Allen had 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with five rebounds and six assists.
Victory Christian’s Mike Andino finished with 19 points, while FAU signee Lorenzo Cason finished with 14 points, four rebounds, two assists, and four turnovers.
Cameron Holmes powers Millennium past Mariner
Millennium 75, Mariner 55: Cameron Holmes lifted the Tigers past the Tritons in the first round of the consolation bracket on Tuesday morning.
Mariner kept the fight alive with strong defense in the first half. They mostly showed a 2-3 zone, and were quick on rotations and closeouts on shooters. It opened up solid transition looks, and their halfcourt sets worked well when they protected the ball, keeping them within striking distance at 15-14 at the end of the opening frame
But turnovers allowed Millennium to stretch the lead. Holmes erupted for 16 points in the third quarter, and the Tigers never looked back.
Holmes finished with 24 points on 50 percent shooting while going 5-of-9 from behind the arc. He added seven rebounds, five assists, four steals, and two blocks. Brayden Barrett went 3-of-6 from three-point land and added 13 points with eight rebounds. The Tigers finished 15-of-34 from three as a team.
The Tritons turned the ball over 16 times in the loss and tallied just six assists. Corey Hunter had a team-high 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Kelvin Jimenez had 13 points and seven boards, while Justin Lewis had 12 points and six rebounds.
City of Palms Tuesday scores
Millennium (AZ) 75, Mariner 55
Riviera Prep 73, Victory Christian 56
Mater Dei 71, Windermere Prep 47
Long Island (NY) Lutheran 83, Westminster Academy 59
Don Bosco (NJ) 76, McEachern (GA) 50
Columbus 73, Archbishop Ryan 38
City of Palms Wednesday's schedule
9:30 a.m. - Game 11: McEachern vs. Westminster Academy
11:15 a.m. - Game 12: IMG Academy vs. Richmond Heights (OH)
1 p.m. - Game 13 SMALL TOWN SIGNATURE SERIES: Lexington (SC) vs. Lyon County (KY)
2:45 p.m. - Game 14 SMALL TOWN SIGNATURE SERIES: Charlotte vs. Buckhorn (AL)
4:30 p.m. - Game 15: Long Island Lutheran vs. Don Bosco
6:05 p.m. - Nice Guys 45-second Fan Challenge
6:15 p.m. - North Law Firm THREE-POINT SHOOTOUT
7 p.m. - Edison National Bank SLAM DUNK CHAMPIONSHIP
8:30 p.m. - Game 16 Hugh Thimlar Tribute: Fort Myers vs. Bishop Verot
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Tuesday from City of Palms Classic: Long Island Lutheran, Mater Dei, Don Bosco, Columbus
