The final game of the day pits Columbus out of Miami, the number one team in the country according to most polls, against possibly the top independent team in the country in IMG.  The Ascenders of IMG have needed late game heroics from Darius Acuff to get this far.  Will they need it again against the Boozer twins and friends?

Columbus grabbed a quick 6-0 lead as 6’7 junior Caleb Gaskins scored inside 6’6 junior Jaxon Richardson had a steal and score and 6’9 senior Cameron Boozer connected on a pair of free throws.  IMG finally got on the board with a three from 6’10 junior Cody Peck.  Two more Columbus buckets gave them a 10-3 lead, but IMG caught a spark, going on a 7-3 spurt, five of those coming from Acuff, to draw within 13-10 with just over three minutes to play in the opening period.  Columbus scored in transition but then Peck hit another three and 6’1 junior Trey Beamer did likewise to give IMG a 16-15 lead with 1:30 left in the quarter.  Cameron Boozer hit a three a moment later to give the lead back to the Explorers.  At the end of the period, Columbus was up 18-16.

IMG tied the game with a transition dunk by 6’4 junior Jermal Jones.  Columbus took back the lead on a Boozer three but baskets by 6’9 senior Kareem Stagg and 6’7 senior Saddiq White gave IMG a 22-21 lead with just under five minutes to play.  A Richardson put-back dunk returned the lead to Columbus but only briefly.  Felipe Quinones, a 6’4 junior, connected on a three then White flushed home a lob to give IMG a 27-23 lead with just over three minutes to play.  A pair of Cameron Boozer baskets tied the game at 27-27, but IMG scored the final four points of the half to lead by four 31-27.

IMG maintained that four-point lead for the first two minutes of the third quarter.  Columbus then went on a 7-0 run, highlighted by a three from Richardson, to lead 38-35.  Another Peck three for IMG tied the game but Columbus scored four quick points to resume control.  The Explorers were able to keep IMG at bay until Acuff converted a three-point play to tie the game at 49-49 with thirty seconds left in the period.  Richardson hit a three for Columbus with three seconds left to give the Explorers a 52-49 lead with a quarter left to play.

IMG tied the game with a three, and after an exchange of two-point baskets, grabbed a 56-54 lead after a transition slam from White.  Columbus quickly countered with a three-point play from Cameron Boozer and a putback from Cayden Boozer to go up three, 59-56, with just over five minutes to play.  Quinones got IMG to within one on a pair of free throws but a transition basket and threepoint play from 6’1 junior Cello Jackson put Columbus up 64-59 with 3:21 left in the game.  A bit later, it looked like Acuff would perform another fourth quarter miracle, dropping in a three to get IMG to within two, 66-64.  Columbus responded with a 6-0 run, highlighted by a pair of Richardson dunks to make the score 72-64 in favor of Columbus with under one minute to play.  IMG got to within four at 75-71 with eleven seconds left to play.  However, there simply wasn’t enough time left for a third miracle comeback and Columbus advanced to the title game by the score of 77-71.

Richardson led Columbus with 23 points while Cameron Boozer finished with 22.  Cayden Boozer added 16 points and Gaskins tallied 11 points.

For IMG, Acuff led all scorers with 27 points.  White added 13 points while both Peck and Beamer contributed 11 points each.