The matchup between two programs widely regarded as the best high school boys basketball teams in the country came down to the closing seconds on Friday.
No. 2 IMG Academy took down No. 1 Montverde on a second-chance layup from Baylor commit Keyonte George that came with less than 10 seconds remaining in the game. The IMG Academy Ascenders took down the Montverde Eagles 65-64 in an early-season battle between the two juggernauts loaded with collegiate talent.
But despite IMG being ranked lower, don’t tell George that this result was unexpected. After the game, he had a message for Sports Illustrated’s Jason Jordan:
“It’s not an upset.”
George finished with 14 points and five rebounds. His final score, the biggest of the night, can be found around the 1:33:40 mark of the game recording:
That wasn’t George’s only big shot. He ended the first quarter with an impressive drive and finish.
Highly ranked players around the five-star shooting guard also showed out in this battle. Five-star power forward Jarace Walker, a Houston commit, lead IMG with 20 points and added seven rebounds and five blocks.
Five-star small forward Dariq Whitehead, who is committed to Duke, led Montverde with 31 points 10-for-19 shooting and five 3-pointers.
That was just one of the highly anticipated games in the NIBC series. On Saturday, IMG Academy plays Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) while Montverde will play Sunrise Christian Academy (Bel Aire, Kan.)
Montverde’s match will be another big test — after all, Sunrise Christian defeated IMG Academy on Thursday.
All games in this series are broadcast on ESPN+ or ESPNU. Find the full schedule here.