Game Report: Imhotep Charter 61, Columbus 44
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The Imhotep Charter Panthers (8-0) saved their best basketball for last at the 49th Annual City of Palms Classic. They dominated from the opening tip to take down Cameron Boozer Cameron Boozer 6'9" | PF Columbus | 2025 State #2…
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Continue ReadingThe Imhotep Charter Panthers (8-0) saved their best basketball for last at the 49th Annual City of Palms Classic. They dominated from the opening tip to take down Cameron Boozer Cameron Boozer 6'9" | PF Columbus | 2025 State #2 Nation FL and the Columbus Explorers (8-2), 61-44 on Wednesday night at Suncoast Credit Union Arena.
The Panthers started out the game on a 12-0 run and never looked back. Columbus answered with six unanswered points of their own to cut the deficit in half. Imhotep Charter would respond with a mini run of their own taking a 14-6 lead heading into the second quarter.
Imhotep Charter’s largest lead of the first half swelled up to 20 points at 26-6, before Columbus would end the half on a 7-0 run to go into halftime trailing 26-13.
The Panthers would force seven Columbus turnovers, with six of them coming in the opening eight minutes of the game.
In the third quarter, Columbus would narrow the deficit to single digits after a top of the key 3-pointer by sophomore Cameron Boozer Cameron Boozer 6'9" | PF Columbus | 2025 State #2 Nation FL to make it a 38-30 Panthers lead with 4:32 left. The Panthers would quickly respond with a 6-0 run to balloon the lead back to double digits at 44-32 following a monster slam dunk by Kentucky commit Justin Edwards Justin Edwards 6'6" | PF Imhotep Charter | 2023 State #3 Nation PA .
In the fourth quarter, Imhotep Charter would start to pull away as the lead swelled back up to 17 points at 55-38 with just under three minutes left in regulation. Imhotep Charter would hold on for the 61-44 win for their first City of Palms Classic title in two appearances, after finishing as the runner-up in 2018. The Panthers also become the first Pennsylvania school to win the title at the nation’s most prestigious event.
Imhotep Charter was led by Florida Gulf Coast commit Rahmir Barno Rahmir Barno 5'10" | CG Imhotep Charter | 2023 State #223 Nation PA finishing with 21 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Edwards added 16 points and 6 rebounds of his own. Ahmad Nowell Ahmad Nowell 6'0" | PG Imhotep Charter | 2024 State #36 Nation PA would finish with 12 points and 8 rebounds.
Columbus was led by sophomore Cameron Boozer Cameron Boozer 6'9" | PF Columbus | 2025 State #2 Nation FL as he finishes in double figures with 14 points and 9 rebounds. His twin brother Cayden would add 11 points of his own. Junior forward Malik Abdullahi added 7 points and 7 rebounds in the loss.