Big wins for Bishop Moore, Montverde and Oak Ridge
Bishop Moore withstood a valiant effort by Orlando Christian Prep in the second half Saturday to stay unbeaten on the season with a 43-37 win at the Hoops for Heart boys basketball showcase at Oviedo High School.
Emil Abreu fought through three defenders for a rebound and put-back under the basket, then Hunter Cattoor stole a pass and followed it up with a layup to put the Hornets (5-0) in front for good with less than a minute to play.
OCP (3-1), the reigning Class 3A state champ, tied the game at 37-37 when Brian Miller grabbed a rebound and went the length of the court to score on a floater with 1 minute, 30 seconds left in the game. But that would be all they’d muster the rest of the way during a tough night shooting from the field.
“We got a senior bunch now. We’re not the little kids on the block anymore,” Bishop Moore coach Jim Yarbrough said. “Our seniors have been doing this for three years now in their quest to improve and represent this program. We’ve just got great chemistry and a mental toughness, and we stayed patient and organized and answered when we needed to make a play tonight.”
Cattoor, who finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 4 steals, gave the Hornets a 9-0 lead early in the second when he made a steal at the top of the arc and threw down an uncontested dunk at the other end of the floor.
Host Oviedo (4-1) used a flurry of 3-pointers to start the second half and outscored Central Florida Christian 77-61 win in the event’s final game.
Aidan Knight finished with a team-high 18 points. Mamush Galloway and James Groetsch each added 15 points in the win.
“Our pillars are defense and getting high-percentage shots, and we don’t care who gets those high-percentage shots,” coach Jason Vallery said. “Whoever’s at the end of that pass has the green light to shoot.”
Jah Nze scored 36 points as Hagerty opened the day with a 76-73 overtime win against Windermere Prep. Montverde tops national No. 1 soccer team: The Montverde Academy girls soccer team closed its twoday Women’s Invitational Showcase Tournament event Saturday evening with a win over the nation’s topranked team. The Eagles improved to 8-0 by topping St. Johns Country Day of Orange Park 2-1.
In a measure of how loaded the WIST event was, the defeat was the second in two days for the Spartans, who came to Lake County riding an eight-year, 76-game winning streak and a national No. 1 ranking. St. Johns (6-2) was blanked 3-0 on Friday by Archbishop McCarthy of Broward County.
Montverde, nationally by avenged a loss to St. Johns from a season ago a day after scoring a 2-1 Friday win vs. Jacksonville Bolles, last season’s Class 2A state champion. Montverde won the FHSAA 4A state title last season.
Vivianne Bessette scored the game’s first goal with a minute left in the first half. St. Johns’ Hannah Lemieux evened things up in the match’s 51st minute, but a goal eight minutes later by eighth-grader Isabella Flanigan put the Eagles ahead for good.
A late save by goalkeeper Sabrina Botran sealed a win in a match where Montverde appeared to be in control for the majority of the night.
“I loved ranked what our fifth two center-backs [Bessette and Kendall Ayers] did,” Eagles head coach Robbie Aristodemo said. “Maria Tregansin played very well. I thought those three kind of controlled the tempo of the game.” Oak Ridge outscores Jones: Niven Glover scored a game high 33 points to lead defending Class 9A boys basketball state champ Oak Ridge to an 88-76 victory over crosstown rival Jones in front of an electric home crowd. C.J. Walker, Emmanuel Adedoyin and Kaleb Coleman also scored in double figures as the Pioneers (6-0) dealt the Tigers their second loss.
Montverde tops Paul VI: Montverde Academy protected its national No. 1 boys basketball ranking with a 57-50 victory over Virginia power Paul VI at the Washington, D.C., ARS National Hoopfest.
The Eagles (4-0) beat two national top-10 teams in two days, including a 68-41 victory over Sunrise Christian on Friday.
Hoops for Heart basketball scores
Hagerty d. Windermere Prep, 76-73 (OT)
Melbourne d. Mount Dora Christian, 69-47
Lake Brantley d. DeLand, 64-44
Dr.
46-40
Vero Beach d. The Academy, 72-61
Bishop Moore vs. Orlando Christian Prep, 43-37
Oviedo d. Central Florida Christian Academy, 77-61 Phillips d. Gateway, Master’s