Sports
Montrose Christian Wins ESPN RISE National Tournament In Double-Overtime Thriller
Senior guard Tyrone Johnson took over with a clutch performance in an ESPN-televised game.
Tyrone Johnson proved why he is one of the best guards in the country with his clutch performance in ’s 71-64 double-overtime victory over Oak Hill (VA) Academy, clinching the ESPN RISE National High School Invitational tournament championship in front of a sellout crowd at in North Bethesda.
Johnson finished the game with 21 points, including a clutch pull-up jumper that gave Montrose Christian a six-point lead and put the game out of reach in the last seconds of the final overtime. He made all 11 of his free throw attempts as well.
“A lot of guys get overlooked for McDonald's All-American, for Jordan All-American, and he’s one of those guys that’s been overlooked. He’s one of the best guards in the country,” Montrose head coach Stu Vetter said after the game. “We went to him throughout the game, he kept control. Think about how many times people tried to press him. But teams can’t press him because he makes great decisions.”
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Johnson took over the game when it mattered most, constantly splitting Oak Hill’s zone defense for floaters in the lane and finding teammates for scoring opportunities.
The game was close throughout, with neither team able to gain more than a six-point advantage at any given time. After a low-scoring first half where Oak Hill took a 24-22 point lead into halftime, both teams came out hungry for the victory. Quinn Cook, Oak Hill’s Duke-bound point guard, lead all scorers with 25 points, despite making just 3 of his 13 3-point attempts.
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It was Montrose junior guard Justin Anderson who made the play of the game though, hitting a contested 3-point shot with less than five seconds remaining in the first overtime period to send the game into a second overtime.
“That’s the biggest shot of my life,” Anderson said during the postgame press conference. “I give all the credit to my teammates. Everybody played great and it just feels good to get the win.”
Anderson finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson, Anderson and junior forward Michael Carrera were selected to the all-tournament team.
The Mustangs will get some much-needed rest before preparing for the annual AAU spring and summer tournament circuit and other summer camps.
