Cameron Boozer leads No. 1 Columbus (Fla.) to win over No. 6 Perry (Ariz.)

Led by a huge performance from Duke-bound power forward Cameron Boozer, Christopher Columbus (Fla.) downed Arizona powerhouse Perry 75-65 on Monday during the final day of the Spalding Hoophall Classic.

Boozer, the nation’s No. 2 overall recruit and son of Carlos Boozer, played all 32 minutes while racking up 31 points, 13 rebounds and three assists. He finished 11 of 15 from the field, and a perfect 7-for-7 from the free throw line while also knocking down each of his two 3-point attempts.

His brother, Cayden, also signed with the Blue Devils, added 11 points, eight assists and four rebounds. Jaxon Richardson (16) and Caleb Gaskins (10) were the other Explorers in double-figures.

Columbus put on an equally impressive defensive performance. As a whole, they held Perry — Arizona’s No. 1 team — to just 41 percent shooting and a 2-for-11 effort from behind the arc. Five-Star Plus+ forward Koa Peat and UMKC commit D’Andre Harrison finished with a combined 39 points, but shot just 12 of 34 from the field collectively.

Peat struggled with foul trouble most of the day, and Perry needed a furious fourth quarter effort to close the final gap to 10.

Dominant showing for Columbus ahead of Montverde showdown

The Explorers jumped out to a 19-11 lead after one, knocking down a pair of 3-pointers and hitting each of their five free throw attempts. They extended the margin again in the second while Perry struggled mightily from the field, hitting just 4 of 15 from the field. Despite being nearly dead-even on points in the paints and only committing six turnovers, Perry couldn’t get its offense going until late in the third quarter.

Trailing by 21 heading into the final frame, they shot a lights-out 10-for-17 from the field, but their poor 3-point shooting was something they simply couldn’t overcome.

With the win, Columbus — which ranks No. 1 in the On3 Composite High School Basketball Ranking — moves to 17-3 ahead of its showdown on Friday with top-10 Montverde Academy. The two teams faced off last month at the City of Palms Classic, with Columbus taking a 59-57 win in the title game.