Cooper Flagg, Montverde beat AJ Dybantsa, Prolific Prep: Live score, updates of MAIT championship (1/27/24)
When the bracket was recently released for this year's edition of the Montverde Academy Invitational Tournament, it looked like two of the top teams in the country were on a collision course for the championship.
That matchup has arrived.
Montverde Academy (Florida), the No. 1 team in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national rankings, is set to host No. 4 Prolific Prep (California) on Saturday in a star-studded finals of the 2024 MAIT.
The championship game features five McDonald's All-Americans, including the nation's No. 1 overall senior Cooper Flagg, plus the No. 1 overall junior AJ Dybantsa and No. 1 overall sophomore Tyran Stokes.
There would be six McDonald's All-Americans playing Saturday if not for an injury keeping out Prolific Prep five-star forward Derrion Reid, an Alabama commit.
In what was the closest game of the season for Montverde Academy (21-0), the Eagles edged out Prolific Prep (23-3) by five points when they faced off at the Hoophall Classic on Jan. 14. Less than two weeks later, they're treating basketball fans to another matchup of powerhouses.
The game is being streamed on the NBA app and is scheduled to tip off at 7:00 p.m. ET.
(FINAL): MONTVERDE ACADEMY 78, PROLIFIC PREP 72
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Montverde Academy senior Cooper Flagg, the No. 1-ranked high school basketball player in the country, goes up with the ball during the Eagles' win over Imani Christian (Pennsylvania) on Jan. 25, 2024.
Photo by Robson Lopes, SBLive Sports
FOURTH QUARTER
-- The clock hits zero for Montverde's 78-72 victory over Prolific Prep, and the Eagles' massive, raucous student section storms the court while the teams line up to shake hands.
-- Queen hits the second free throw, putting Montverde up by five points, and the Eagles get a stop on ensuing possession for Prolific Prep. It looks like Montverde will hold on for the win.
-- Queen misses the first of two three throws, and Montverde head coach Kevin Boyle calls a timeout right before Queen sinks the second one. Coach trying to ice his shooter?
-- Cooper Flagg takes the inbound pass out of a timeout for a wide open dunk, then Liam McNeeley steals a pass on the other end. Derik Queen is going to the free throw line for two shots with 14.4 seconds left on the clock and the Eagles up 76-72.
-- Robert Wright is willing Montverde to a win. The Baylor signee gives the Eagles a 74-72 lead with a tough finish at one end, then he draws a charge on the ensuing possession to give the Eagles the ball back with 32 seconds left.
-- Tyran Stokes sinks a three with the shot clock winding down to put Prolific Prep back in front, 72-70, but Robert Wright quickly ties the game up with a layup at the other end. It's 72-72 with 1:01 to go.
-- Montverde has its largest lead of the night, up 70-63 with less than four minutes remaining. The Eagles are getting to the basket at a high rate now, with guards Robert Wright and Curtis Givens scoring the last two buckets.
-- Zoom Diallo shows off his range with a three ball to cut into Montverde's lead. The Eagles lead 64-63 early in the fourth.
-- Robert Wright scores the first points of the fourth quarter, spinning around Mikey Lewis while driving to the basket for a layup. Montverde grabs the lead, 60-58.
THIRD QUARTER
-- Mikey Lewis drills a three for Prolific Prep as the buzzer sounds to end the third quarter. We go to the fourth quarter with the game tied at 58.
-- Five-star Alabama commit Aiden Sherrell comes through with a much-needed three for Prolific Prep to slow down the momentum Montverde is building.
-- Tyran Stokes picks up his fourth foul trying to defend a driving Curtis Givens. Stokes goes to the bench, and the LSU commit Givens goes to the free throw line for two shots. It's an 0-for-2 trip, but an offensive rebound on the missed free throw leads to a corner three for Liam McNeeley.
-- Robert Wright finds Asa Newell down low for an easy bucket, as Montverde reclaims the lead, 51-50, with two minutes to go in the quarter.
-- Montverde and Prolific Prep exchange threes by Robert Wright and AJ Dybantsa, respectively. The Crew hold a five point lead, 48-43, a little over halfway through the quarter.
-- Tyran Stokes, playing with three fouls, avoids the charge and euro-steps around Derik Queen on his way to the basket for two points. Prolific Prep leads by five, 45-40.
-- Zoom Diallo picks up his fourth foul on the first possession of the half and goes back to the bench after sitting most of the first half. There have been 12 fouls called on Prolific Prep compared to three on Montverde, and the Crew's bench is understandably not happy about it right now.
SECOND QUARTER
-- Cooper Flagg hits a clutch three pointer for Montverde with about three seconds left on the clock. Prolific Prep leads 39-35 at halftime after outscoring the Eagles in both the first and second quarters.
-- Four-star junior Winters Grady buries a three pointer for Prolific Prep just before the shot clock runs out. The Crew lead by seven, but they're in some foul trouble now with Zoom Diallo and Tyran Stokes both sitting with three fouls.
-- Prolific Prep head coach Ryan Bernardi calls a timeout after a quick 4-0 run by Montverde makes it 29-25 in favor of the Crew.
-- Lewis again. The St. Mary's-bound guard completes the old fashioned three-point play with a stepback jumper and free throw.
-- Mikey Lewis nails a three pointer to give Prolific Prep its biggest lead of the night, 26-20.
-- The bigs are showing some finesse tonight. After Derik Queen gives Montverde the lead with a nice finish in the paint, Tyran Stokes puts Prolific in front with a spinning layup at the other end of the court.
FIRST QUARTER
-- AJ Dybantsa gets to the paint and beats the buzzer with a tough layup. Prolific Prep wins the first quarter, 17-16.
-- Derik Queen, one of the five McDonald's All-Americans who started this game, puts converts the and-one to give Montverde a 16-13 lead with one minute to go in the quarter.
-- Now St .Mary's commit Mikey Lewis comes off the bench for Prolific Prep and hits a three. It's a 9-0 run for the Crew, who lead 11-9.
-- Coming out of the timeout, five-star sophomore Tyran Stokes and five-star junior AJ Dybantsa knock down consecutive threes for Prolific Prep.
-- Prolific Prep calls a timeout with Montverde on a 9-0 run. Great defense is leading to easy offense for the Eagles.
-- Montverde gets its first points of the night on a three from five-star Indiana commit Liam McNeeley, and the Eagles follow it up the next possession with a steal and slam by Cooper Flagg.
-- Five-star Washington commit Zoom Diallo opens the scoring with a layup for Prolific Prep.
-- Time to get started here in the MAIT finals between No. 1 Montverde Academy and No. 4 Prolific Prep. The Eagles win the tipoff, and it sounds like they have a significant homecourt advantage with the crowd.
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7:00 p.m. Saturday (ET) | Montverde Academy, Montverde, FL
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-- Zach Shugan | zshugan@gmail.com | @SBLiveSports
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