The Montverde Academy boys' basketball team has punched its ticket to the 2024 Chipotle High School Nationals championship game, and the Eagles are now just one win away from a perfect season.
Four players scored in double figures, and the Eagles led from start to finish in defeating Columbus High School 84-70 in the semifinal round on Friday afternoon.
MVA is now a perfect 32-0 as it looks to win the high school national championship game for the seventh time in program history on Saturday.
In Friday's win, Cooper Flagg scored a team-high 28 points and had six rebounds, while Derik Queen had 16 points and six rebounds. Liam McNeeley added 14 points, a team-high seven rebounds and five assists, while Robert Wright had 13 points and a team-high six assists.
The Eagles jumped out to a 15-6 lead by the end of the first quarter, and MVA led 40-23 by halftime.
The Explorers managed to cut the lead to as little as seven in the second half, but MVA never seemed to be in danger of losing.
MVA committed a season-low three turnovers all game, while Columbus committed nine, leading to the Eagles holding a 13-4 advantage on points off turnovers.
MVA will now face Paul VI for the national championship on Saturday at 12:00 pm, and the game will be televised on ESPN2.
Paul VI was one of only two teams (Prolific Prep) to lose by less than double digits against MVA in the regular season. The Eagles beat Paul VI 69-62 at the City of Palms tournament on December 22.
