City of Palms Classic Top Performers Day Six: Championship

In the championship game of the City of Palms Classic, Montverde (FL) Academy was able to grab the win in a nailbiter against Oak Hill (VA) Academy for a final score of 60-55 on Wednesday night.

The matchup between the two powerhouses started off slow in the first half as it was an offensive struggles for both teams. Fortunately, things started churning in the second half and it was a close game until the end.

Montverde’s lead scorer Dariq Whitehead came into the championship matchup averaging 19 points a game, but struggled to score the ball in the early going. Thankfully, Dillon Mitchell and Malik Reneau were able to help carry the weight offensively. Mitchell finished with a team-high 16 points, on 8-of-11 from the field, while also grabbing nine boards, two blocks, and the MVP honors. Reneau finished with 12 points on 75% from the field.

Jalen Hood-Schifino also struggled offensively, but scored the game-securing free-throws for Montverde, and managed to finish with 10 points. The Indiana signee is one of the best on-ball defenders in high school basketball and held five-star junior Caleb Foster to only two field goals.

Oak Hill’s Judah Mintz was once again a great example of a three-level scorer. He was able to single-handedly keep his team in the game with 11 points in the first half. I was once again impressed to see him finish up and over (much) taller defenders. The uncommitted senior guard finished with a team-high 22 points on 50% from the field.