Cameron Boozer, No. 9 Columbus take out frustration on Lake Oswego at Les Schwab Invitational: ‘We came here to make a statement’
HILLSBORO — The best way to avoid an upset at the Les Schwab Invitational is to quickly remove the local challenger’s sense of belief and never let up.
Christopher Columbus, ranked ninth nationally in the latest SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25, did exactly that in Wednesday’s opening-round matchup with Lake Oswego, racing to a substantial early lead in a 99-36 rout. Cameron Boozer led the way with 37 points and 11 rebounds for the Explorers, who arrived at Liberty High School on a two-game losing streak.
The Miami-based power had some pent-up frustration because of their recent play, and they took it out on the overmatched Lakers.
“We talked about playing a full 32 minutes and dominating,” said Boozer, the nation’s No. 2 junior prospect. “We came here to make a statement, and I feel like that’s what we did.”
The Explorers (7-4) dropped two games to Link Academy and Don Bosco Prep at the pre-Christmas City of Palms Classic. Knowing that Oregon teams have a long history of scoring upsets at the LSI, head coach Andrew Moran made sure Columbus brought its A-game to the Pacific Northwest.
“Everywhere you go when you’re ranked, everyone is going to give you their best,” Moran said. “And that’s certainly something we talk about. But for this week, it’s more about coming back together and really finding a good flow for us as we head into the second half of the season.
“We faced some really tough teams last week and we just wanted to clean up some things and bounce back from that. We had a couple games where we were up late, blew the lead and lost. We just want to get our momentum back, build ourselves back and get going.”
Columbus played with urgency and purpose from the opening tip Wednesday, getting nine quick points from Boozer en route to a 14-5 advantage. The 6-foot-9 standout slammed home a two-handed transition dunk and converted a three-point play during the hot start.
Later in the first quarter, the big man showed off his shooting range with a 3-pointer that extended the lead to 24-7 heading to the second. Jaxon Richardson threw down back-to-back fast-break slams in the period as Columbus entered halftime up 48-23.
“We play with a lot of energy,” said Richardson, a five-star sophomore. His older brother, four-star Michigan State signee Jase Richardson, is the team’s starting shooting guard.
“We just have fun out there, go play, don’t get too panicked and always stay true to ourselves.”
Jase Richardson and Michael Feenane added 14 points apiece for Columbus, and Cayden Boozer, Cameron’s twin brother, had 10 points, six assists and three steals. Cayden Boozer is the No. 14 prospect nationally in the 247Sports composite rankings.
Senior forward Aengus Sutherland paced the Lakers (2-7) with 13 points. Sutherland was impressed with Columbus’ combination of length and athleticism.
“You can find size pretty much anywhere, but guys who know how to use that size who are coordinated and skilled … it’s pretty fun to go against that, man,” Sutherland said. “It makes you work really hard.”
Columbus is also blessed with good genetics.
The Boozers are the sons of former Duke and All-NBA forward Carlos Boozer. Two-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson is the father of the Richardson brothers.
Moran said it’s an enjoyable group to coach with talented players up and down the roster.
“We can do a lot of different things, offensively and defensively,” the coach said. “We have packages that can really cause a lot of problems, and that’s a lot of fun. They allow me to coach them and listen, so that’s exciting.”
Jaxon Richardson credited the Boozers and his older brother for helping him develop as a player. Everyone at Columbus is bought into the idea of winning and getting better every day.
“It’s amazing being able to play with other good players,” Jaxon said. “It helps me improve my game off the ball and helps you see what it’s like to play with other good players, because that’s what happens when you go to college. Your team is full of other good players in college, so starting that early helps out.”
Columbus went 26-4 a season ago en route to the Florida 7A state title. The Explorers have already matched last season’s loss total this winter, but Cameron Boozer believes the team is close to turning a corner.
An LSI title would be the perfect way to right the ship.
“It’s been a combination of a harder schedule and working through some things,” Cameron said of the team’s record. “We’ve definitely lost some games we should’ve won, but we’ll be fine the rest of the season.”
Photos by Leon Neuschwander
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Photo by Leon Neuschwander, SBLive Sports
