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IMG Academy gets past Montverde Academy 68-62 in ranked Florida high school basketball clash

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•02/22/25•

HunterShelton_

Syndication: Detroit Free Press
IMG Academy’s Darius Acuff (5) fist bumps members of the Orchard Lake Saint Mary’s coaching staff before the game at Oakland University in Rochester on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025.

Two of the top high school boys basketball programs threw down on Saturday afternoon in the Sunshine State. Following a fourth-quarter fire alarm delay that spanned nearly 20 minutes, No. 20 IMG Academy managed a tight 68-62 win at home over No. 10 Montverde Academy.

As has been the case all season long, IMG was powered by point guard Darius Acuff. The five-star Arkansas signee collected 26 points (9-23), five assists and four rebounds, paving the way for the Ascenders.

IMG (21-6) continued to find answers as Montverde (19-6), led by Trent Sisley, made runs, chopping into leads. Sisley had 10 points in the first quarter — and 24 for the game — but Acuff and Co. managed a 30-29 lead at the end of the first half.

Montverde opened the second half on a 7-0 run and took a quick lead, but the Ascenders were once again up for the task. They went on an 8-0 run later in the quarter, grabbing a 43-40 lead. The two teams went back and forth as IMG took a 49-47 lead into the final period.

With three minutes to play and IMG up by six, a fire alarm delayed things, killing any momentum for either side. The Ascenders were able to see things out and pick up arguably their biggest win of the 2024-25 season.

Behind Acuff, junior combo guard Trey Beamer poured in 15 points on 6-11 shooting. Senior forward Kareem Stagg had a game-high 13 rebounds to go with seven points.

Sisley was one of three in double-figures for Montverde. Shooting guard Dante Allen managed 15 points, seven boards and six assists, while Javion Tyndale had 11 points, five rebounds and three assists. Florida SG commit CJ Ingram had 11 rebounds.

The On3 Composite High School Basketball Team Rankings 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.