Intensity tipped the scales at the La Porte Invitational as league teams duked-it-out, jockeying for optimal positioning in the league standings.
Top-ranked Link Academy bolted out of the gates in its opener, flexing its proverbial muscles in a 73-54 win over Iowa United Prep. The Lions dominated the paint, scoring 42 points and converting 12 fast break points to build out their lead.
As he’s done all season, Carlos Medlock Jr., a Michigan State signee, set the tone for the Lions, scoring 22 points in the win.
No. 14 Brewster Academy opened with a tough test from Tennessee Collegiate, but Antonio Pemberton’s 23-point, five-rebound, six-assist outing ultimately helped them pass with flying colors, pulling out the 69-59 win.
That set up a blockbuster matchup between the Lions and the Bobcats that did not disappoint.
In the end, the Bobcats stole the 61-59 win after Brayden Jones’ go-ahead monster slam in the waning seconds of regulation. Brewster tightened the strings on the defensive end throughout, converting nine turnovers into 13 points and swiping seven steals in the win.
Michai White led the Bobcats with 18 points in the win.
“We told them if Antonio was overplayed he’d have to screen away for Michai to come get the ball then he’d have that whole side cleared out,” Brewster coach Jason Smith said. “He obviously had that great drive and dish to Brayden for the finish. It’s a good surprise because we haven’t seen each other in three weeks. It gives us a big boost after the layoff, but we’ve got Central Catholic, who’s the top team in Massachusetts, and then we’ve got three big league games at Hoophall after that.”
CIA had an equally impressive weekend, rolling to two wins with a 27.5-point average margin of victory. The Bears got plenty of help from its bench, which posted 26 points a game.
Here’s a rundown of how teams fared over the weekend:
Brewster Academy 2-0
CIA Bella Vista 2-0
La Lumiere 1-1
Link Academy 1-1
Long Island Lutheran 1-1
Iowa United Prep 1-1
Tennessee Collegiate 0-2
The St. James 1-1
CATS Academy 0-2
Sunrise Christian 0-1
Currently, 10 teams are ranked in the ESPN SCNext High School Top 25 for Week 7:
1. Link Academy
2. SPIRE Academy
5. AZ Compass Prep
7. CIA Bella Vista
8. La Lumiere School
13. Montverde Academy
14. Brewster Academy
15. Sunrise Christian Academy
17. Wasatch Academy
25. Faith Family Academy
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