FORT MYERS – The two IMG Academy basketball teams lost in the semifinals of the GEICO Nationals on Friday at the Suncost Credit Union Arena on the campus of the University of Florida Southeastern State.
When they played at Monteverde Academy for the third time this season, the Ascenders boys came out on top in the hat-trick record, falling 62-57 to Eagles in the first half.
The IMG academy girls played a good first quarter before the New Hope Academy from Maryland increased the pressure and rolled to an 80-50 decision.
The final is set for Saturday. At 10 a.m., the Monteverde Academy plays New Hope for the girls championship, followed by the Monteverda vs. Link Academy of Missouri.
Boys
Monteverde 62 IMG Academy 57
The third time was magic for the Eagles, who made more plays down the road to move on to the championship game on Saturday afternoon.
After losing twice to the IMG academy during the regular season, the third-ranked (23-4) Monteverda academy took the final lead with the shutdown of Dillon Mitchell after a steal and two misses.
The second-ranked Ascenders (23-5) missed two shots in its next possession. Malik Renault, who sat out almost six minutes after snatching his fourth offense, changed layups and raised the Eagles to 58-54.
The Ascenders reached a point distance in a three-point game by Jarras Walker (Houston) with 53.7 seconds left.
Both teams missed free throws before Derrick Whitehead (Duke) and Jellen Hood-Spino (Indiana) made two foul shots each in the last 18.8 seconds.
“We dragged,” said Monteverde Academy coach Kevin Boyle, who went 19-0 at Fort Myers and 17-0 at the Suncost Credit Union Arena.
IMG academy coach Sean McAllon lamented about not reading the basket ride when his team dropped a point at the last minute.
“I don’t blame it on each other, but it changed the tide of what we had to do,” McLean said. “They were good on defense and recovered.”
The Ascenders also had to adjust without a starting guard, Jaden Bradley, a committal from Alabama who played the first two games against the Monteverde Academy but was sidelined with a leg injury.
“We didn’t come back on defense. He’s leading our defense. And he’s pretty much moving us on offense,” McLaughlin said of Bradley. “He’s a super important. It’s not an excuse. We were right there. We were stagnant most of the game.” In the third quarter we got a nice little run. Then we were back in the fourth quarter. “
In a 41-39 drop, IMG Academy scored the final eight points of the third quarter and led by six points at the entrance to the final eight minutes. Walker had three and Kiyonta George, who played as if he did not want his high school career to end, got the other five points.
One of the adjustments the Monteverda Academy made after the first two games was the Renault Walker guard, who finished with 11 points.
“They won on a buzzer in the first game, but we were right there. They were the better team in the second game,” Boyle said of the 65-64 loss on December 3 and the 57-53 loss on January 17 to the Ascenders.
For IMG Academy, it was a hard chat after the game.
“Their heart is torn,” said McLean, who has seven graduates out of his eight players.
George (Baylor) finished with 21 points, including his second four-point game in a few days and 3.8 seconds with the half-time buzzer on the right after the Sanders called a timeout with 3.8 seconds.
Jet Howard, again with the father of Michigan coach Joan Howard in attendance, finished with 12 points for IMG Academy, which was brought back to 40-28.
Whitehead equalized George with 21 points for high honors in the game. Dillon Mitchell (Texas) dropped 13 rebounds.
girls
New Hope Academy (Md.) 80 IMG Academy 50
After a slow start, the Tigers lifted their intensity on defense and rolled into the championship game at 10 a.m. Saturday against Monteverde Academy on ESPN2.
16-14 behind after one quarter, the New Hope Academy activated pressure defense and opened the second quarter with an 18-2 run.
The Tigers snatched nine steals and forced 12 losses in the first half when they went up to a 34-20 lead at the half.
The aggressive style continued into the second half. New Hope Academy’s top academy summed up the final nine points of the third quarter and led 30 points.
IMG Academy (12-5) ran 13-0 at the end of the third quarter after a 78-37 drop.
New Hope Academy finished with 17 steals and forced 21 rounds of IMG Academy.
Senior Kaylen Gilbert (Arizona) led IMG’s fourth academy with 20 points on 8-of-25 shooting. After a 24-point appearance in the first round against Bishop McNamara (MD), Grace and Anslotten (Oregon) conceded 11 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
New Hope Academy (28-2) received 25 points from senior Jillan Brown. Junior Night Reynolds filled the stats sheet with 13 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Seniors Kennedy Pantlerroy and Tania Lawson each added 11 points for the Tigers.
Baseball
Venice 9, Academy Outside the Door 0
IMG Summer Classic
B: Outside the door
b V, John Whitney (2-2, 2 runs, 2 runs), Embry (4-5, 2 runs, RBI), Houston Mark (2-4, 2 runs, run), Cole Schumaker (2-3 , Run)), Desavion Cassaway (1-2, 2 runs, 2 RBI)
pitching: V, John Whitney (2 IP, 1 hit, 4 Ks), Simon Yochum (1 IP, 2 Ks)
Of a note: Venice scored all nine runs in the first three rounds. … Venice’s six features are combined for a three-stroke shutout with eight hits. … The game was moved from IMG Academy to an out-of-door academy due to poor terrain conditions.
Riverview 6, Lakewood Ranch 1
Leading players: R, Elijah Hurt (2-3, 2 2B, run), Will St. Onge (2-3, 2B, 2 RBI); LR, Lochlan Radloff (2-3)
pitching: R, Sam Klanot (7 IP, 6 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 3 Ks); LR, Jack Muller (3 ⅓ IP, 1 hit, 3 Ks)
Of note: Riverview scored all six runs in the first three rounds.
Sarasota 11, Seminole 3
B: High Sarasota
Leading players: Se, Bradley Ramsden (2-3, 2B, 2 runs), Mario Triple (2-2, 2B, 3 RBI, run), Lance Triple (2-4, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Tyler Mazek ( 1-3, 3 RBI), Luke Jackson (2-4, 2B, Running, RBI), Rocco Depestino (2-4, 2 RBI, Running)
pitching: Se, Bernard Barnes Jr. (5 IPs, 3 Bats, 8 Ks), Bradley Ramsden (2 IPs, 2 Ks)
baseball
Lemon Bay 11, Dehsuto County 3
BLemon Bay
Leading players: LB, Madison Kincade (3-4, 2B, 2 runs, 2 RBI), Easy Brickle (3-3, 2B, 3B, run, 5 RBI), Mackenzie Vaughn (1-3, 2 RBI), Ella Kreshevsky ( 1-4, 2 runs)
pitching: LB, Mackenzie Vaughan (6 IPs, 7 hits, 2 runs, 1 earned, 2 walks, 5 Ks)
Lifting white weights
Grade 3A Meeting – District 12
Group score: 1. Venice 80, 2. Riverview 67, 3. North Port 44, 4. Sarasotal 13
Venice results: first place, Aidan Devron (129 kg weight), Logan Ballard (199), George Philippe (238); Second place McKay Bernard (119), Rylan Kriska (129), Remy Freak (138), Michael Phillips (154), Michael Peable (183), Mariano Lopez (219), David Rainey (Unlimited); Third place, Jazzia Powell (119), Max Hale (139), Eli Sid (183), Colin Adkins (Unlimited); Fifth place, Dominic Chira (169), sixth place, Bradley Marta (169), Zack Zapola (219), Mason Leonard (238)
kidnap
Group score: 1. Port North 54, 2. Sarasota 27
Dennis Mapatzoli is the Deputy Sports Editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Chief Writer of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and HTpreps covering the Sarasota, Manatee and Charlotte counties. Support local journalism by signing up.