City Of Palms Day 3: U-School Rallies for 2OT Win Over Mater Dei
FORT MYERS, DEC. 20, 2017 – Unlike yesterday, when six Florida high school teams took the court in the 45th annual City of Palms Classic, only had two games on Wednesday featured Florida high school teams. In the first of those games, University School (Davie) rallied from a 16-point deficit to defeat Mater Dei (CA) 81-72 in double overtime to advance to the semifinals of the City of Palms Classic.
“We put ourselves in a hole in the first half,” said University School head coach Adrian Sosa. “We didn’t come out with great energy. They (Mater Dei) came out and shot the lights out. We just kept preaching to the kids that there was a lot of time left in the game, just chip away, one basket at a time, one stop, there’s no such thing as a 10 or 15-point basket so let’s just keep trying to execute, and slowly we got them.”
Trailing 56-46 with 6:28 left in the fourth quarter, the Sharks outscored the Monarchs 21-11 to force overtime. Neither team scored in the first overtime and University School only made two field goals in the second overtime, but the Sharks capitalized on being in the double-bonus to make 10 free throws, and outscored the Monarchs 14-5.
Scottie Barnes, the No. 7 ranked prospect in the 2020 class had 29 points and 10 rebounds, and five assists -- all game highs. Barnes also had three steals which tied for a game high with two other players. Vernon Carey, Jr., the No. 1 ranked prospect in the 2019 class had 23 points and eight rebounds and Tre Doomes (West Virginia) added 17 points, 4 rebounds, three assists and three steals while battling leg cramps.
Michael Wang had 28 points and four assists for Mater Dei on 12-of-15 shooting, Spencer Freedman had 18 points and four assists and Harrison Butler added 12 points and 5 rebounds.
UP NEXT
U-School plays McEachern in the semifinals on Friday at 9 p.m. The two teams almost faced each other at the Holiday Hoopsgiving Tournament in Atlanta last month but the Sharks had to withdraw from the event
OAK RIDGE OUT DUELS JOHN MARSHALL
In a game that was chippy, and had four players warned about all of the jawing they were doing, Oak Ridge (Orlando) held John Marshall (Va.) to just two points during the final four minutes of the game to get a 75-68 win in the final game Wednesday night
It was a hard-fought, physical, back-and-forth game with eight lead changes. Oak Ridge took the lead for good in the third quarter at 50-49 but John Marshall never fell behind by more than seven points and cut the lead back to one at 67-66 with four minutes to play. That’s when the Pioneers defense locked up the Justices during an 8-2 run that produced the final score.
Three Pioneers finished in double figures and two had double-doubles. Senior wing Rob Perry had 22 points and 13 rebounds. Emmitt Williams, the No. 21 ranked prospect in the 2018 class, had 17 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. Antwann Jones (Texas A&M), the No. 97 ranked prospect in the 2018 class, added 14 points, four assists, three rebounds, two blocks and two steals in just 17 minutes. Jones, who suffered an injury to his shooting hand and was playing in his first game of the season, was a very efficient six-of-eight from the floor.
Junior Levar Allen led the Justices with 23 points and five rebounds, sophomore power forward Isaiah Todd had 19 points and six rebounds, and junior Demarr McRae added 16 points and three rebounds.
Todd, the No. 2 prospect in the 2020 class, did not live up to his five-star status in the second half when his team needed him the most. Todd too often settled for three-pointers after halftime (he made just 1-of-6 in that half). He shot two airballs and only got to the free throw line once all night.
STAT OF THE GAME
Oak Ridge’s domination on the glass. The Pioneers out rebounded the Justices 37-22.
UP NEXT
Oak Ridge plays Memphis East Thursday at 8:45 p.m.