The Montverde Academy boys varsity basketball team won their third consecutive MAIT championship after defeating the former No. 22 nationally ranked Long Island Lutheran 83-47 on Saturday, January 28 at the NEST.
From the start of the game, UNC commit Day'Ron Sharpe won the opening tip leading to Cade Cunningham's assist to Florida State signee Scottie Barnes for a ferocious dunk. The Eagles capitalized on each possession as their lead doubled with each quarter of the game.
Although the No.1 ranked Montverde Academy Eagles are led by the No.2 nationally ranked player Cade Cunningham, it was the MVA basketball team's second rotation that fueled the team's win over Long Island Lutheran. Dariq Whitehead (12 points), Arkansas commit Moses Moody (12 points), and Langston Love (team-high 14 points) could not miss from behind the arc. Each player shot an efficient 40% from three-point range and was nearly perfect from the free-throw line.Â
"I feel like these last three days, throughout these games, we stayed resilient," said Scottie Barnes. "The other teams came out fighting and we just kept our own pace."
Over the three-day tournament, the Eagles defeated the top team from New York, the top team from Louisiana in Scotlandville Magnet and three-time defending State Champion Westminster Academy.
2020 MAIT Recap:
ThursdayÂ
La Crosse Central (Wis.) 73, South Miami 72
Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) 65, Crestwood Prep (Canada) 45
Scotlandville (La.) Magnet 67, The Master's Academy 61
Montverde 83, Fort Lauderdale Westminster 51
Friday
Crestwood Prep 54, South Miami 48
Long Island Lutheran 66, La Crosse 61
Master's 62, Westminster 59
Montverde 81, Scotlandville 48
Saturday
South Miami 60, Westminster 58 (seventh place)
Scotlandville 69, La Crosse 46 (third place)
Master's 67, Crestwood 56 (fifth place)
Montverde 83, Long Island Lutheran 47 (championship)
"This is a special tournament that hosts some of the best competition in the local area and from across the country," said Head Coach Kevin Boyle. "We will now continue to improve throughout the season and hopefully compete for another national championship."
So far this season the Eagles have won their games by an average score of 30 plus points against a schedule composed largely of state or nationally-ranked opponents.
The Eagles continue their pursuit for MVA's fifth national championship title in eight years as they head to Maryland for the St. James Invitational beginning on Thursday, January 30 where they will play Scotland Campus, a team out of Franklin County, Pennsylvania.
St. James Invitational Tournament Schedule:
National Christian vs. Legacy Early School - 3:00 p.m.
Hillcrest Prep vs. Riverdale Baptist - 4:45 p.m.
IMG Academy vs. Saint James School - 6:30 p.m.
Montverde vs. Scotland Campus - 8:15 p.m.
