As always, it will be loud, it will be electric, it will be exuberant and likely at capacity, as Montverde Academy is set to host its twentieth annual Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament (MAIT), this weekend from Thursday, January 26 through Saturday January 28 at the EdgeCenter for Sportsmanship and Wellness (The Nest).
A high caliber of basketball will be played on the sprawling campus in Montverde, Florida with five other highly skilled boys' and two highly skilled girls' basketball teams from four different states converging on campus for the three day event.
Along with MVA, other boys' schools competing in this year's tournament rendition includes instate rivals Riviera Prep (Miami) and Westminster Academy (Fort Lauderdale) along with out of state schools Durango High School (Las Vegas, Nevada), St. Rita High School (Chicago, Illinois) and Owyhee High School (Maridian, Idaho).
The boys' opening round game will be on Thursday at 7:15 pm against Westminster Academy. If the Eagles win, they advance into the winner's bracket and play on Friday at 7:15 pm against Owyhee High School. If they lose Thursday's game, MVA will play in a loser bracket game on Friday at 3:00 pm against the loser between Durango and Riviera Prep. Saturday's boys' games are slated for 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 7:15 pm.
MVA boys' basketball is 16-2 coming into MAIT and a perfect 6-0 at home this season.
Heading into MAIT, junior Derik Queen leads the team in scoring at 11.7 per game, rebounding at 6.9 per game and field goal percentage at 63 percent (89-for-142). Meanwhile, senior Chris Johnson (Kansas commit) leads in assists per game with 3.7. Sophomore Cooper Flagg is averaging 10.9 points per game, while shooting 59 percent from the floor (81-for-137). He also leads the team in blocked shots at 2.6 per game.
In addition to electric boys' basketball, the MVA girls' basketball team will have a pair of regular season games in conjunction with the tournament. MVA girls will host in state foes Riverview High School on Thursday at 5:00 pm and Palm Bay High School on Saturday at 5:00 pm.
MVA girls' basketball is currently 21-1 this season. They have been led in scoring, assists and steals by senior Mjracle Sheppard (Mississippi State commit) with 10.9 points, 2.8 assists and 4.2 steals per game. Fellow teammate, senior Lety Vasconcelos (Baylor commit) leads the team in rebounding at 6.5 per game.
Tickets are $15 per person each day Thursday and Friday, and $20 on Saturday. Parking is free each day. Admission is free for MVA students.
Fans interested in purchasing tickets for any of days should visit www.mvasports.com/tickets. The games will also be streamed live over the NFHS Network (paid subscription required) at www.mvasports.com/livestream
About Montverde Academy:
Montverde Academy is a private, independent college preparatory school for grades Pre-K3 through post-graduate studies, with a boarding program serving grades 7-12 representing 90+ nationalities. Our mission is to inspire students to become knowledgeable leaders with global vision and passion for learning, in a disciplined and diverse community that nurtures character development. For more information, visit us online at Montverde.org and at MVASports.com. On social media, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
