Metro vs. Florida Challenge basketball: Jamier Jones scores 30 for Oak Ridge
APOPKA — It didn’t take long for Jamier Jones to make his presence felt for highly-touted Orlando boys basketball power Oak Ridge.
The 6-foot-6 transfer from IMG Academy scored 30 points — all in the final three quarters — in his official debut on Wednesday night as the Pioneers opened their regular season with an 85-64 win against a game Windermere Prep team in the Earl Graham Memorial Metro vs. Florida Challenge at Apopka High School.
The Pioneers are ranked top 20 in multiple national polls but trailed the Lakers for most of the first half and led by a slim 31-27 margin at the break.
Everything changed when Jones went into attack mode against a defense anchored by 7-foot sophomore center Sinan Huan. Jones refused to be stopped on aggressive drives for dunks.
“This was my coach [Steve Reece] and my teammates trusting in me and letting me go,” Jones said afterward.
Jones is ranked as high as No. 13 among junior class prospects (by ESPN).
The Pioneers brought their leading players back and added several other newcomers to the star power for a program that reached the Class 7A final four last season.
Reece went to a smaller lineup in the second half and Oak Ridge used its tenacity and physicality to break the game open.
“We had to stop shooting so many 3s and start attacking,” Reece said.
Tyler Johnson had 15 points and coach’s son Jalen Reece 15 for the Pioneers.
Samuel Shoptaw, a junior newcomer, scored 20 points and sophomore Brandon Bass Jr. added 18 for Windermere Prep (0-1), which doesn’t have a senior in its top seven.
“Oak Ridge is so athletic. They keep coming at you and they don’t stop,” said Lakers coach Brian Hoff. “This is a great learning experience for us. We’re young and we’re going to keep getting better.”
Oak Ridge plays another nationally ranked team, Bishop O’Connell of Arlington, Virginia, on Saturday in Atlanta.
Other games
Timber Creek rained down 13 3-point shots in Wednesday’s opening game.
Not enough.
The Master’s Academy equaled that long-distance shot-making with 13 treys of its own and overpowered the Wolves with their lengthy lineup in an 84-66 victory at Apopka High School.
Master’s (2-0), with five players listed at 6-foot-5 or 6-6, crushed the Wolves on the boards and capitalized on numerous second chances off offensive rebounds.
Scott Verboncoeur, a 6-6 senior, scored a game-high 24 points in the victory. That included three 3s. Dylan Labuhn, a 6-3 senior, knocked down six 3s and finished with 22 points.
Senior Devaugh Stallworth (6-5) added 13 points.
“We’ve got six starters and any of them can get 15 to 20 points or more in any given game,” said TMA coach Reggie Kohn. “We just need to make sure two or three of them do that.”
Timber Creek (0-1) returned only one player from an 8-16 team but showed promise with an inexperienced lineup. Sophomore guards Chase Hibbard and Joshua Perry led the Wolves with 22 points and 17. Hibbard made seven 3s and Perry buried five.
Wednesday’s second game saw Olympia, which went 26-3 and spent most of last season ranked No. 1 in the Orlando area, post a hard-fought 52-43 victory against Lake Brantley.
Even with 2022-23 area player of the year Jizzle James now suiting up for Cincinnati, the Titans were pegged to again be one of the best public school teams in the state until two top players departed.
Carter McDole, a rugged 6-7 forward who averaged 9.8 points and led the Titans in rebounding, left just before school started to sign on with DNA Prep Academy, a California prep school. Cam Miles, a combo guard with major college offers, left in October to sign on with independent power AZ Compass Prep of Arizona.
“We can still be very good,” Gordon said. “With those guys, we could have played with anybody.”
Seniors Kaiden White (15 points) and Kameren Wright (12) led Olympia in its season opener.
Landen Paquette scored 15 for Lake Brantley.
Florida Gators signee Isaiah Brown scored 27 points for perennial power Orlando Christian Prep (1-0) in its 58-39 win against Apopka (0-1). The 6-5 wing made four 3-point shots.
Senior point guard Ameer Ramadan added 15 points and 7 assists for a team that brought back its key players from a 25-4 team that lost last season’s Class 2A state final by point to Sagemont of South Florida.
“I think Isaiah asserted himself tonight,” OCP coach Treig Burke said. “We need that.”
Devin Leath led Apopka with 14 points.
Sanford Seminole turned the running clock on in its 87-48 win against Jones in a matchup of two teams that will gain a few more players once their football programs’ state playoff seasons end. Both have football region finals on Friday night.
Senior guard Josiah Shackelford scored 25 points for Seminole. Dequan Ross added 22 and Brayden Tarpley 17 in the win. And 6-8 senior Quindarius Rumph, who was sidelined due to medical issues for the entire 2022-23 season, was a rebound machine at both ends of the court.
Isaac Buckley scored 20 points for Jones (0-2).
In Wednesday’s nightcap, Eustis (1-0) built a 33-19 halftime lead vs. Wekiva and held on to win 55-54 in a game that went down to the wire.
Anthony Hines and Jayveon Dale each scored 13 points for the Panthers and Timothy Key added 11 with three 3s.
Julius Johnson scored 12 to lead Wekiva.
Admission is $12 per day or $20 for an all-games pass.
Other tournaments
Olympia is one of the teams participating in the Florida Get Down event on Friday and Saturday at Orlando’s Grand Avenue Neighborhood Center. The Titans will play Villages Charter at 8 p.m. Saturday.
That two-day lineup includes six Friday games, including Wekiva playing Riviera Beach Suncoast, at noon; and Jones facing Williston at 4:30. The Saturday schedule includes Jones vs. Suncoast, 11 a.m.; and Wekiva vs. Tri-Cities of Georgia at 12:30.
A Grind Session Orlando showcase brings a talent-laden lineup of independent schools for games Friday through Sunday at the Game Point Events Center in Orlando. Prolific Prep of California, which has four players ranked in the top 25 of their graduating class, faces West Oaks of Orlando at 5 p.m. Friday.
West Oaks plays American Collegiate Prep, a new Orlando program, at 11 a.m. Saturday.
METRO VS. FLORIDA CHALLENGE
Tuesday results
Mount Dora Christian 63, Horizon 38
Viera 69, Lake Nona 58
Mainland 72, Jones 33
Lake Highland 43, Boone 30
Bishop Moore 66, Freedom 61
Lake Buena Vista 50, Mount Dora 27
Wednesday results
Master’s Academy 84, Timber Creek 66
Olympia 52, Lake Brantley 43
Seminole 87, Jones 48
Orlando Christian Prep 58, Apopka 39
Oak Ridge 85, Windermere Prep 64
Eustis 55, Wekiva 54
Friday games
At Apopka High School
East River vs. Trinity Prep, 11 a.m.
Lake Buena Vista vs. Foundation, 12:15 p.m.
Colonial vs. Discovery Academy, 1:45
Evans vs. Bartow, 3:30
Windermere vs. Leesburg, 5:15
Dr. Phillips vs. Lake Mary, 6:45
West Orange vs. CFCA, 8:15
(play continues Saturday at Apopka)
Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
