Boozer twins dominate as Columbus (Fla.) wallops Great Crossing (Ky.) at City of Palms Classic
Behind a wave of scoring options, Columbus (Fla.) made a loud statement on Thursday night at the City of Palms Classic.
The Explorers had four in double-figures en route to a 90-39 demolition of Great Crossing (Ky.). Superstar forward Cameron Boozer led the way with 23 points on 10-13 shooting and nine rebounds. Guard Cayden Boozer added 16 points and eight assists. The twin brothers and Duke signees combined to shoot 5-7 from 3-point range.
Columbus jumped out to a 9-point lead at the end of the first quarter. Things only picked up from there. After taking a 24-point lead into the locker room at halftime, the Explorers blitzed the Warhawks with a 31-point third quarter that saw just two misses for the in-state team.
Great Crossing managed just 15 points total in the second half. Star center and Kentucky signee Malachi Moreno was held to 10 points, six rebounds, an assist and three blocks. He picked up four fouls and shot 4-10 from the field.
The Boozers were flanked by junior forwards Jaxon Richardson and Caleb Gaskins, who combined for 34 points on 16-19 shooting. Jaxon, the son of former NBA veteran Jason Richardson, lived above the rim and threw down multiple nasty dunks.
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Top performers from Day One of the City of Palms Classic can be found HERE.
Columbus shot a whopping 70 percent from the field in the win while holding Great Crossing to just 32 percent on Thursday. The Explorers led for 28:50 of game time and are now 9-1 on the season. The Sunshine State juggernaut ranks No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in Florida, according to the On3 Composite Rankings.
The Boozers and Co. will now square off with Grayson (Ga.), the No. 1 team in the nation. The Rams defeated Central Catholic (Ore.) 96-55 on Thursday morning.
The On3 Composite High School Basketball Team Ranking is a proprietary algorithm that compiles rankings listed in the public domain by respected High School media and data companies. It includes Massey, Max Preps, ESPN and SI, creating the industry’s most comprehensive and geographically balanced High School Team Ranking.
More about the City of Palms Classic
A brief history on the City of Palms Classic from the tournament website:
“In December 1973, the City of Palms Classic began, like so many events, as a simple, local Christmas basketball tournament — the brainchild of legendary Edison Community College head coach Hugh Thimlar and a small group of high school coaches and administrators. Over the years, the “City of Palms Classic” (named by Donnie Wilkie in 1987) has grown and expanded its scope to include many of the nation’s finest players and teams, setting the standard during the past four decades by which all other holiday basketball tournaments are compared.”