Columbus Wins 51st Annual City of Palms Classic Title

The 51st Annual City of Palms Classic wrapped up on Monday night with a battle between two Top 10 nationally ranked teams.

The Columbus Explorers celebrate with their City of Palms Classic championship trophy, at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers on Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, after their thrilling, 59-57, victory over top-ranked Montverde Academy in the final. / Andrew West/The News-Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In a showdown between the nation's top two teams, the Columbus Explorers edged the top-ranked Montverde Academy Eagles in a 59-57 thriller, to take home the City of Palms Classic title on Monday night at a nearly sold-out Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Florida.

The Explorers, which came in at No. 2 in the latest High School On SI National Boys High School Basketball Rankings, had a 54-47 lead with just under a minute left in regulation, but Creighton commit Hudson Greer came up with some huge baskets to lift Montverde Academy back within one possession.

It’s the first City of Palms Classic title in school history for the Explorers and is the first Miami-Dade County program to win the prestigious event since Miami High in 1996.

Columbus defeated Great Crossing (Kentucky), 90-39, in their opening-round game, defeated Grayson (Georgia), 85-48, in the quarterfinals, and defeated IMG Academy, 77-71, in the semifinals to get to the Championship Game.

Four-star junior small forward Jaxon Richardson led in scoring with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. Duke signee Cameron Boozer added 14 points on 3-of-9 shooting from the field and nine rebounds for the Explorers. Four-star small forward Caleb Gaskins finished with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field.

Boozer was named the Co-MVP of the event, where he scored in double figures in all four games of the tournament for the Explorers. Boozer shares the award with IMG Academy’s Darius Acuff Jr. (Arkansas signee)

IMG Academy Ascenders guard Darius Acuff Jr. (5) shoots the ball as Columbus Explorers forward Cameron Boozer (12) tries to block it during the fourth quarter of the City of Palms Classic semifinal game at Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla., on Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. Acuff Jr. and Boozer were named co-MVP's of the event. / Jonah Hinebaugh/Naples Daily News/USA Today Network-Florida / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Montverde Academy defeated Archbishop Carroll (Pennsylvania) 96-77 in their opening round matchup, defeated Millennium (Arizona) 68-63 in the quarterfinals, and defeated Oak Ridge 83-74 to get to the Championship Game.

Four-star small forward Hudson Greer (Creighton signee) led the Eagles with 18 points on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 4-of-8 from behind the arc. Villanova signee Dante Allen added 12 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the field and six assists in the loss.