City of Palms: Thursday Recap

December 22, 2023 by Travis Graf

Some of the nation's best take the floor for the 50th annual City of Palms tournament throughout the course of this week. Here's a breakdown of Thursday's action.

VICTORY CHRISTIAN (69) vs WINDERMERE PREP (59)

In the first game of the day, Victory Prep jumped out to an early first half lead, finding themselves up 20 to 10 at the end of the first quarter. Windermere Prep used stout defense (13 steals and seven blocks) to help mount a steady lead in the second half. 

Lorenzo Cason was the star of the show for Victory Prep, tallying 31 points on 11-of-19 shooting while knocking down five shots from behind the arc. The rest of the scoring was steady across the board for them. 

Brandon Bass Jr. and Samuel Shoptaw led Windermere Prep, accounting for 31 of the team’s points. 


CANNON SCHOOL (77) vs ARCHBISHOP RYAN (75)

In an exciting matchup, the game between the Cannon School and Archbishop Ryan came down to the wire. The duo of Miami (FL) signee Austin Swartz and 2025 guard Isaiah Henry led the charge for the Cannon School. 

Swartz finished with an efficient 27 points and eight rebounds while Henry scored 20 on 8-of-14 from the field to go along with nine boards. 

Darren Williams continued his strong play with 31 points in the loss, while Georgetown signee Thomas Sorber added 23 points and 15 rebounds. 


NORTH MECKLENBURG (79) vs RICHMOND HEIGHTS (57)

North Mecklenburg dominated the game from start to finish in this one, led by five-star Duke signee Isaiah Evans, who finished with 25 points on 8-of-11 from the field. 

Ashton Pierce and Trey Maxwell also pitched in in big time the victory. Pierce finished with 17 points and knocked down five threes while Maxwell knocked down three of his own on the way to 18 points. 

2026 prospects Dorian Jones and TJ Crumble showed a lot of impressive flashes for Richmond Heights. 


MATER DEI (84) vs RIVIERA PREP (68)

In the Sunshine Series Championship, Mater Dei went home with some hardware with the convincing victory. 2025 Owen Verna paced Mater Dei with 34 points on 13-of-21 from the field while nailing five three-pointers. 

Luke Barnett and Scotty Belnap also left their mark on the game, coming together to combine for an efficient 34 points. That duo combined to make another six three-pointers on top of Verna’s. 

Riviera Prep had four players score in double-figures, but 2027 Jeremy Jenkins led the way with 19 points on 7-of-16 from the field. 

MONTVERDE PREP (95) vs ARCHBISHOP STEPINAC (55)

The best team in high school basketball just continues to boat race the competition on a nightly basis. Tonight was a very balanced attack, with five players scoring in double figures. 

2024’s Cooper Flagg and Derik Queen led Montverde with 20 points a piece, with Flagg going 8-of-11 from the field and Queen going 8-of-10. Fellow senior Asa Newell also finished with a double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. 

2024 five-star guard Boogie Fland was a bright spot in the loss for Stepinac as he finished with 23 points. 

LINK ACADEMY (68) vs COLUMBUS (61)

In one of the better matchups of the day, a strong fourth quarter propelled Link Academy over Columbus. Throughout the game, they showed why their backcourt is arguably the best in the country. 

2024 Tre Johnson and 2025 Jasper Johnson continued their strong week in this one, with Tre scoring 21 points and knocking down a handful of threes while Jasper finished with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Labaron Philon was also steady throughout, posting 10 points, six assists, and five rebounds. 

The Boozer twins were standouts in the loss for Columbus. Cayden finished with 21 points and seven assists while Cameron scored 13 while grabbing 15 rebounds. 

PAUL VI (71) vs IMG ACADEMY (70)

Thursday’s nightcap did not disappoint in the slightest. In a game that was tight throughout its entirety, Paul VI pulled out a one-point victory in the final minutes. 

They were led by Rhode Island pledge Ben Hammond, who finished with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He also posted five assists to no turnovers. Jordan Smith Jr. and Darren Harris combined for 27 points. 

Darius Acuff paced IMG with 20 points and six assists in the loss, while Donnie Freeman scored 14 while grabbing seven boards.