Our second day at The City of Palms Classic has us front and center for EIGHT games. It will be a mixture of consolation, quarter-final, and Sunshine Series games. The Mountain Dew is I.V.’d in so we are ready!
The 9AM game is a consolation bracket game between Long Island Lutheran and Owasso out of Oklahoma. We know that plenty of points will come from 6’6 senior Kayden Allen of Lu HI while Jalen Montanati, a 6’7 senior committed to Oklahoma State, can catch fire in an instant. Who will step up to make a difference among the complimentary players on both teams?
As expected, Allen was quick to get the scoring started. He had seven of the team’s first twelve points and Lu HI led 12-5 midway thru the period, forcing an Owasso timeout. After the break, Owasso made a dent in the margin, getting to within 15-10 with just over a minute to play in the period. Allen struck again with a three-pointer late, but a pair of free throws from 6’4 senior Boden Williams of Owasso made it an 18-12 score after one period of play.
Boden hit a three for Owasso to open the second quarter scoring. After an Allen baseline drive and score for LuHI, 6’3 junior Julian Wilson drained a three for Owasso to get them to within two, 20-18. Lutheran regrouped, scored the next to baskets to make the score 24-18 midway thru the quarter. Owasso once again drew to within two behind a pair of free throws from Montanati and Williams. The teams exchanged two-point baskets then Lutheran finished the period with a 7-1 run, then final five from 6’8 junior Moussa Kamissoko, to make the halftime score 33-25 in favor of Lu HI.
Montanati dropped in a three for Owasso to open the third quarter, then Lutheran reeled off eight straight points with Allen scoring six of those. With five-plus minutes left in the period, Lutheran’s lead was double-digits at 41-28. Owasso began the long climb back with a pair of free throws from Montanati and a drive and score from Wilson. With just under two minutes left in the third, Motanati dropped in a three to get to within 47-40. Lutheran hit a free throw but a drive and score from Montanati ended the quarter with Lutheran holding onto a 48-42 lead.
Lutheran once again grew its lead to double-digits after a 5-0 run to start the fourth period. After a long jumper from Owasso’s Wilson, Lutheran turned the ball over and after a foul was called, a Lutheran player was whistled for a technical. Montanati hit the two free throws for the foul, hit another two for the technical then Wilson scored on a drive to essentially complete a six-point play to draw within 53-50 with just over four minutes left in the contest. That would be as close as Owasso would get as Lutheran then went on a 10-0 run, seven of those from 6’7 junior Christian Proctor, to make it 63-50 with just over a minute to play. A late run by Owasso was not enough and Lutheran advances in the consolation bracket 65-56.
Allen led Lutheran with 22 points. Montanati had a game-high 27 points for Owasso.
The next game in the consolation round features Bishop McNamara and Garfield Heights out of Ohio.
Heights got out quickly to a 5-0 lead thanks to the work of 6’4 junior Antonio Jones. Qayden Samuels dropped in a three to get McNamara going. Garfield kept coming with a three from Jones and a drive and score from 6’3 senior Marcus Johnson to lead 10-3 with just over four minutes to go. At that point, McNamara said “enough” and ripped of eleven unanswered, five from Samuels to take a 14-10 lead. Johnson hit two free throws for Garfield but baskets by Samuels and Prince Alexander-Moody gave McNamara an 18-12 lead after one period of play.
The wheels came off for Garfield Heights in the second quarter (which is fine because we visited with friends along NBA scouts row). The highlight of the quarter was a flying dunk by McNamara’s 6’8 junior Brandon Woodard that was waived off as a charge. It sure looked like the ball had gone thru the basket before body contact was made. In all, McNamara outscored Garfield Heights 24-5 to lead 42-19 at the half.
Garfield never recovered or had a chance to get back in the game in the second half. The intrigue became how many points would Samuels of McNamara finish with. With just over a minute to play, McNamara called a timeout to draw up a play for him. He drained a three, and was immediately pulled, having dropped in a cool forty points. McNamara won comfortably 79-59.
To go along with Samuels forty, Alexander Moody added 26 points. For Garfield Heights, Johnson finished with thirty points.
The next game up is a consolation round game between Columbus out of Miami and Saint John Bosco from the West Coast. The intrigue here is the individual matchups between a pair of top ten players in the Class of 2026: Caleb Gaskins, a 6’8 Miami commit and Christian Collins, a 6’8 wing and arguably the top uncommitted senior in the country.
Gaskins struck first with a mid-range jumper for Columbus. SJB got a free throw from 6’5 senior Max Ellis to get on the board. A bit later, Collins got his first points on a baseline drive to make the score 6-5 in favor of Columbus with just under five minutes left in the period. Columbus then peeled of an 8-2 run, the last of it a bucket from Gaskins at the rim to double-up SJB 14-7. Collins responded with a bucket but a three from Gaskins made the score 17-9 in favor of Columbus at the end of the quarter.
A Cello Jackson bucket for Columbus gave them a double-digit lead, but five quick Bosco points cut the deficit in half. Columbus responded with five of their own and the margin was back to ten, 24-14 with just over five minutes left in the half. Columbus finished off a 10-0 run with a three point play from 6’8 freshman Cayden Gaskins to go up 29-14. The teams would trade buckets until the break, which found Columbus up fourteen, 35-21.
Columbus kept their roll going with five straight points to build a 40-21 lead early in the third. Back-to-back threes by SJB sandwiched around a Gaskins basket inside for Columbus made it a fifteen-point contest. Gaskins scored four straight points to extend the Columbus lead. After some back and forth baskets, a three from Jackson of Columbus gave the Explorers a 51-31 lead with three minutes left in the period. Bosco finished the period with an 8-4 spurt, five of those coming courtesy of Ellis. With one period left to play, Columbus was in command, 55-39.
It looked like SJB was going to make a comeback after trimming the deficit to 56-43 with over six minutes left to play. Columbus squashed that notion as they reeled off eleven unanswered points, seven of those from Jackson. With only 3;24 left and down twenty-four points, there was no comeback for Bosco. Columbus glides into the consolation semis with a 73-50 victory.
As expected, the stars shone brightly for both teams. Gaskins had a game-high 30 points for Columbus while Collins finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds for Saint John Bosco.
The event moves to the Sunshine Series for the next two games. First up is Victory Christian out of Lakeland, a favorite for the Class 1A title, taking on Saint Thomas Aquinas from Fort Lauderdale, last year’s Class 6A champion and a favorite to duplicate that feat in 2026.
STA got on the board first with three from 6’5 junior Nate Accius. A free throw from Victory’s 6’0 senior Tucker Fox and a three from 6’1 junior Christian Fuller gave Victory a 4-3 lead. The lead would go back and forth like that until a 6-0 Victory run took them from down 10-9 to up 15-10 with just over a minute to play in the first. St. Thomas got to within 15-12 after 6’1 junior Clarence Westbrook cashed in two free throws to end the quarter.
A 7-2 run by STA, highlighted by a three from 6’5 senior Zane Elliott gave them the lead at 19-17. The pace slowed down at that point. After Victory Christian tied the score at 21-21 with two free throws from 6’11 sophomore Arik Arik, Aquinas got a free throw from 6’4 senior Xavier Pink and a three from Wesbrook to go up 25-21 with under two minutes to play in the half. Fuller hit a three to draw within one but that was offset by another three from Accius of STA. T.J. Ogbeide, a 6’5 junior scored just before the horn for Victory to make the halftime score 28-26 in favor of STA.
Victory Christian kept pace early in the third quarter, down 33-30 with just under six minutes to play. At that point STA rolled off an 11-3 run, highlighted by a three from 6’3 senior Mason Mallory to put the Raiders up 44-33 with 3:29 to play. Victory Christian stayed in the fight and after a pair of threes from Fox, had cut the lead to 49-43. A late score from Westbrook before the horn gave STA a 51-43 lead going into the fourth quarter.
Victory scored the first basket of the period to get to within six but STA peeled off seven straight points to push their lead back to double-digits, 58-45. Victory then attempted to extend its defensive pressure but STA was able to break it for scores. With a minute left to play, Victory got to within ten at 68-58, but 6’2 junior K.J. Sandi scored six uncontested points after STA got pass the press to win by the score of 74-58.
Westbrook led STA with 23 points. Fox paced Victory Christian with 14 points.
The second game of the Sunshine featured Orlando Olympia taken on Notre Dame HS of West Haven Connecticut. Abdou Toure, a 6’6 senior and Arkansas signee is the big draw and will be a tough test for a young Olympia team.
Olympia was first on the board with a pair of free throws from 6’3 junior Torrence Moore. Toure did likewise or Notre Dame. After an exchange of two-point baskets, Olympia went on a 7-0 run, punctuated with a three from 6’2 junior James Nowells. Notre Dame fought its way back to within two after a driving score by Toure made it 15-13 in favor of Olympia with under a minute to go in the period. Olympia stretched its lead to 19-15 going into the second quarter.
After an exchange of baskets, A three from 6’1 junior Jamison Blake of Olympia gave them a 24-17 lead. That is when Toure took over. He led the team on a 9-1 run to take a 26-25 lead with under five minutes to play. Olympia grabbed the lead back after a putback by 6’5 junior Kevin Edou but Toure and Notre Dame were just getting started. They ended the half on a 12-2 run with Toure soring seven of those to lead 38-29. Toure had 24 of Notre Dame’s first half points.
Olympia got within seven, 40-33, after just one minute of play. Once again, Notre Dame got on a roll, scoring eight straight points to grow their lead to 48-33. Olympia played evenly with Notre Dame for the rest of the quarter but that just meant that Olympia was down sixteen, 59-43 heading into the final period of play.
The closest Olympia got in the fourth was thirteen points. Each time it seemed Toure responded with a bucket. Notre Dame would ultimately win by the score of 75-61.
Toure led Notre Dame with 41 points. For Olympia, Nowell led the way with 20 points.
We return to the main bracket for a quarter-final game between Principia out of Missouri and Wheeler from Georgia.
The teams traded baskets frequently in the early part of the first quarter. After Principia grabbed an 8-6 lead, Wheeler responded with five points to go up 11-8. Principia then got on an 8-2 run to take an 18-13 lead with just over three minutes left in the period. Wheeler drew to within three late but a buzzer beating jumper by Principia gave them a 20-15 lead after one period of play.
Wheeler came hot in the early minutes of the second quarter, taking a 25-24 lead with just over five minutes to play. Both teams went dry for a spell at that point until Wheeler scored five straight to go up six, 30-24 with 3:36 left in the half. Principia fought back scoring the last seven points of the half, five of those from 6’4 senior Quentin Coleman, the last three on a buzzer beater to trail by just one, 34-33 at the break.
Early in the third Principia grabbed back the lead at 37-36. Back-to-back threes by 6’6 senior Caleb Landrew of Wheeler gave the Wildcats a 42-37 lead, forcing a Principia timeout. They responded quickly and cut the margin down to three. Six straight points by Wheeler which included a Landrew four-point play pushed the Wheeler lead to 48-39 with just under four minutes to play in the period. Principia was unfazed and went on an 11-4 run to get to within 52-50 after a three from Coleman. Wheeler got back on track and with one quarter remaining, Wheeler led by just three, 54-51.
A three-point play by Landrew of Wheeler to open the fourth period gave them a six-point lead, but Principia came right back with five straight points to trail by just one, 57-56. After a putback slam by Landrew, Coleman of Principia tied the game at 59-59 with a three. That was the start of a 9-0 Principia run as Coleman and 6’3 junior Kingston Money combined to give the team a 65-59 lead with just under two minutes to play. Wheeler quickly came back and with thirty seconds left to play, had a chance to tie the game at 65-65 from the free throw line. Uncharacteristically, Wheeler missed both. Principia got loose and threw down a dunk to go up by two possessions. Wheeler turned the ball over on its final possession and Principia scored to make the final score 69-63 in its favor.
Coleman scored a game-high 34 point for Principia. Landrew finished with 20 points for Wheeler.
The next quarter-final game features Petersburg out of Virginia taken on Bartlett from Tennessee. It took awhile but Bartlett got on the board first with a transition basket from 6’7 junior Dylan Jones and then a three from 6’9 senior Axton Perry. After 6’8 senior Latrell Almond made one of two free throws to put Petersburg on the board, Bartlett extended its lead to 8-2 with just over two minutes to play. After Petersburg’s first field goal of the game by Almond, Bartlett continued to score seemingly at will and had a 13-4 lead. Petersburg got untracked, scoring five unanswered. Bartlett connected on a free throw just before the end of the period to make the score 14-9 in their favor.
Petersburg scored the first four of the second quarter to draw within one. Bartlett finally scored to go back up three but Petersburg continue to roll, scoring six unanswered, for of those from Almond, to lead 19-16 with just under five minutes to play in the period. The teams would exchange leads over the course of the next four minutes until with the score tied at 21-21, Bartlett closed out the quarter with a 6-0 run, three of those coming from Jones, to make the halftime score 27-21 in its favor.
Petersburg closed the gap to four quickly in the third quarter, trailing just 29-25 after a little over a minute had gone by. Bartlet then reeled off ten unanswered, six of those from Jones, and led 39-25 with 3:23 left to in the period. Petersburg fought back and got as close as eleven but at the end of the third, Bartlett led 44-31.
It looked like Petersburg might be done early in the fourth after Almond picked up his fifth foul but there was no quit in the Wave. With just under five minutes to go, they were down just eight at 48-40 as 6’11 senior Ladarius Givan asserted himself inside. Bartlett started using up as much of the thirty-five second clock as possible on each possession. Petersburg had to foul to stop the clock and regain possession. They got as close as 53-44 with 1:39 left but having to foul and then rush shots allowed Bartlett to extend its lead. In the end Bartlett won big, 63-44.
Dylan Jones led Bartlett with 16 points. Almond finished with 21 points for Petersburg.
The final game of the night featured Archbishop Stepinac out of New York and The Villages Charter. Aaron Britt got The Villages on the board with a deep three but Stepinac scored the next four points to grab the lead. The Villages hit another three but once again Stepinac scored a pair of two-point baskets to lead 8-6. The Villages kept pace and was down just 10-8 with three minutes remaining in the quarter. Stepinac took over from there, finishing the period on an 11-0 run as five different players scored to enter the second period up 21-8.
Four points by The Villages to start the second quarter were offset by four from Stepinac in the first two minutes of the period. The Villages made a small run to get to within nine at 25-16 but Stepinac regained control and built its lead to as much as 34-18 with 2:40 left in the period. The Villages scored five unanswered, the last a three from 6’4 senior Jared Thompson, to end the half down eleven, 34-23.
The Villages got the deficit to as low as twelve, 42-30 early in the third period. It didn’t last long as Stepinac grew the lead back to seventeen, 54-37 over the next three minutes with 6’5 senior and Michigan State commit Jasiah Jarvis scoring seven points during that time. The Villages didn’t stop and got the deficit down to ten at 55-45. Stepinac got a three from 6’4 senior Hassan Koureissi before the buzzer to make the score 58-45 heading into the final period.
The Villages worked hard to get back into the game in the fourth quarter. They outscored Stepinac 10-4, highlighted by a three from 6’6 senior Herly Brutus, to get to within 62-55 with just under two minutes left. Stepinac responded with four straight points to end The Villages hope of a comeback. A late putback by The Villages made the final score 66-57 in favor of Stepinac.
Koureissi led Stepinac with 21 points. Thompson led The Villages with 17 points.