Even as the No. 2 team in the country, Montverde Academy coach Steve Turner knew it was paramount for his Eagles to finish the Nike EYBL Scholastic regular season on a high note, a sentiment shared by coaches around the league.
As the conference tournament looms teams put a premium on being at their best in all facets.
“You want to finish strong going to an event like the conference tournament where you’re 0-0,” Turner said.
Montverde certainly got the memo, closing out with an 85-58 win over Tennessee Collegiate and clinching the East Division title.
The Eagles got 35 points off the bench; Dhani Miller led four players in double figures with 18 points.
“We hit our stride and we’ve got a momentum going,” Turner said. “Winning isn’t easy, especially in this league but to get the win at home was big for us. Winning the division we’re super proud. A lot of people wrote us off with how we started, but we always talked about next man up and these guys showed it. We’ve just gotta continue to stay the course and stick to the script.”
No. 1 AZ Compass Prep sewed up the West Division title with a 61-52 win over Dream City Christian.
The Dragons punished Dream City in the paint, scoring 34 points. Kalek House, a Xavier signee, led the way with 18 points.
“Finishing the season 23–1 and winning the division means everything to our organization,” AZ Compass coach Pete Kaffey said. “Our guys put in the work all year, pushed through adversity, and stayed together. To come out as division champs and put ourselves in position for a top seed speaks to their commitment, connection and belief in one another. I’m truly blessed to coach this group of young men.”
No. 14 La Lumiere pulled off the win of the weekend, upsetting No. 3 SPIRE Academy 81-73. The Lakers continued their hot shooting from the perimeter, draining 10 threes at 45 percent.
No. 7 Wasatch Academy rolled to an 80-60 win over Utah Prep. The Tigers shot 47 percent from three, scored 38 points in the paint and got a combined 42 points from Junior County, a Connecticut signee, and Mariano Manciel.
No. 8 Link Academy knocked off No. 21 Faith Family 81-59.
The Lions owned the paint on the offensive end, pumping in 47 points and scoring 11 fast break points. Luca Foster, a Gonzaga signee, led the way with 18 points in the win.
No. 9 CIA Bella Vista Prep got the 73-52 win over Veritas Academy, scoring 21 second-chance points and getting 26 points from its bench.
Here’s a complete rundown of how teams fared over the weekend:
Montverde Academy 1-0
AZ Compass Prep 1-0
SPIRE Academy 0-1
Dream City Christian 0-1
La Lumiere 1-0
Oak Hill Academy 1-0
Faith Family 0-1
Iowa United 0-1
Long Island Lutheran 1-0
Sunrise Christian 1-0
Link Academy 1-0
Veritas Academy 0-1
CATS Academy 0-1
CIA Bella Vista Prep 1-0
Utah Prep 0-1
Wasatch Academy 1-0
Brewster Academy 1-0
Christ School 0-1
St. James 0-1
Tennessee Collegiate 0-1
Currently, 10 teams are ranked in the ESPN SCNext High School Top 25 for Week 14:
1.
AZ Compass Prep
2. Montverde Academy
3. SPIRE Academy
7. Wasatch Academy
8. Link Academy
9. CIA Bella Vista Prep
14. La Lumiere School
15. Brewster Academy
20. Dream City Christian
21. Faith Family Academy
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