UNION, NJ–On Saturday night, GMC Hoops took in the nightcap game of the 2015 Metro Classic between St. Benedict’s Prep of Newark and Montverde Academy of Florida, the top ranked team in the nation. The Eagles were coming off a hard fought win over Roselle Catholic and St. Benedict’s was looking to take advantage. Led by the country’s top player, Ben Simmons, MVA was able to fight off a strong challenge from the Grey Bees and two of their top players, Nate Pierre-Louis and Trevon Duval. Below are game notes from the action:
First Quarter
4:27 left in the first quarter and Montverde calls timeout with St. Bennies jumping out to an 8-4 lead.
0:00–End of first and Monteverde leads 12-11. MVA ends quarter on an 8-3 run including a dunk by Simmons for the lead. Eagles also already in the bonus.
Second Quarter
5:58 left in the first half and Bennies calls time with Monteverde leading 16-13. Eagles open the 2nd on a 4-2 run.
0:00–End of first half and Monteverde leads 31-25 after this layup b4 the buzzer by Ben Simmons.
Third Quarter
3:22 left in the third quarter and Monteverde leads 37-32. St. Benedict’s opens half on a 7-6 run.
0:00–End of third and Monteverde leads 46-44. Bennies ends the period with a 12-9 run. Grey Bees outscore the Eagles by a 19-15 in the frame.
Fourth Quarter
6:54 left in the game and Monteverde leads 49-46 after a two handed dunk from the left side by Ben Simmons as he was fouled for a three point play.
2:42 left in the game and Ben Simmons throws a tomahawk dunk down for a 57-52 Monteverde lead.
25.1 seconds left and Monteverde leads 64-59. Simmons made a couple fts.
0:00–Despite a bank shot from the right wing for a three by Nathaniel Pierre-Louis, St. Benedict’s falls to Monteverde 67-62. MVA ends the game on a 21-16 run to break away from a 46-46 tie. Simmons finishes with 30 points and 9 rebounds. Nate Pierre-Louis scored 15 points while Trevon Duval chipped in with 10 in a losing cause for St. Benedict’s.