FORT MYERS, Fla. — In a rematch from six days earlier, Prestonwood Christian (9-1) turned the tables in a major way, defeating Arlington Grace Prep, 62-42, to win the State Farm City of Palms Classic title, the first time a Texas team has won the championship.
Prestonwood’s 6-9 junior forward Julius Randle, 6-7 freshman guard Mickey Mitchell and 6-9 University of Kansas-bound senior Zach Peters combined for 41 points and 23 rebounds to win the 39th annual, 16-team tournament. Many of Mitchell’s team-high 19 points came on an assortment of slam dunks that wowed the crowd of about 2,100 fans at Bishop Verot High School.
Grace Prep won last week’s nationally-televised game 79-64.
“We all share the ball,” said Prestonwood senior guard Austin Rettig, who scored 10 points and had three fourth-quarter slam dunks. On the first dunk, four Prestonwood players touched the ball on a fast break, which ended with Randle flipping the ball to Rettig for the jam and a 57-33 lead.
“The chemistry on this team is unbelievable,” Rettig said. “We were nervous in that first game. We knew that’s what beat us the last time.”
Randle, the tournament’s most valuable player, scored seven points and grabbed seven rebounds. Peters finished with 15 points and eight rebounds.
Ranked No. 17 in USA Today’s Super 25, Grace Prep (10-2) had the height in 7-0, Baylor-bound senior center Isaiah Austin to contend for the title, knocking off two nationally ranked teams on the road to the championship game.
Austin scored 10 points and grabbed 15 rebounds but blocked just one shot and fouled out. Grace Prep sophomore guard Emmanuel Mudiay scored 10 points and had five assists and five rebounds.
David Dorsey writes for the News-Press in Fort Myers, Fla.
CITY OF PALMS CLASSIC
PCA (10-1): Mickey Mitchell 19, Zach Peters 15, Austin Rettig 10, Claude Person 7, Julius Randle 7, Marquan Botley 3, Trey Garrison 1.
GRAC (10-2): Emmanuel Mudiay 10, Isaiah Austin 10, Jordan Mickey 9, Will Mims 3, Jelon Hornbeak 3, Zach Ghormley 3, Pat Birt 2, Micah Seaborn 1, Josiah Ahart 1.