A Very Melo Classic: Rundown

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Yesterday on the campus of Morgan State University, A Very Melo Classic took place. A triple-header featuring teams from Baltimore, D.C., Philadelphia and West Virginia were in attendance as Carmelo Anthony watched courtside. Let's take a look at a brief rundown from each contest.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Sidwell escapes with a close win over Mt. Carmel</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The first game of the day started in a slow fashion, but Sidwell found themselves in control of the slow tempo in the first half. There was no real flow in the first 16 minutes of play for either team. Mt. Carmel found a rhythm in the third quarter to claw back into the game after trailing 28-13 at halftime thanks to the playmaking of 2024 Drew Dixon, who led the Cougars with 16 points. 2025 [player_tooltip player_id='1370512' first='Mario' last='Tatum'] converted on a couple of key jumpers during their run to swing the momentum, but it was Lehigh commit [player_tooltip player_id='957022' first='Cam' last='Gillus'] that would spoil the comeback effort. The senior floor general regained control of the pace and got into the paint with regularity in a half court setting, especially late in the fourth quarter. He drew fouls, converted at the free-throw line and had weakside defenders scattering, which left others open for clean looks. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Gillus led the attack for Sidwell to a tune of 16 points. 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1225257' first='Acaden' last='Lewis'] made some key plays off the bench by finishing with 10. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Imhotep defeats Oak Hill</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Imhotep entered this game considered at top 10 team according to MaxPreps and it didn't take long to see why. They're headlined by Kentucky commit [player_tooltip player_id='991341' first='Justin' last='Edwards'], a 6'7 lefty wing who registered a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds in the 66-61 victory. Florida Gulf Coast commit [player_tooltip player_id='991339' first='Rahmir' last='Barno'] got downhill and was a blur in transition, where he scored the majority of his 19 points. It was 2024 lead guard Ahamad Nowell who stood out among the rest. A 6'0 guard who is being courted by programs such as Tennessee, Auburn, Memphis and Kansas, Nowell scored from all three levels. He thrived in ball screen settings where he made sound reads as a scorer or distributor. </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Oak Hill was led by 2023 Elijah Mitchell, a 6'4 guard who scored 13 points and made an impact from the corners off the catch. 2024 lead guard Josh Holloway scored 11 points and dished out four assists while 2025 Kaden Magwood converted on some impressive jumpers throughout that lead to 11 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p><strong>Gonzaga gets a much-needed win over St. Frances</strong></p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The Purple Eagles came into this one needing a win to get things back on track. They looked strong from start to finish in a 76-67 win led by 2025 point guard Nyk Lewis' 23 points, eight rebounds and five steals. Lewis' loaded stat line took shape in the second half when he was needed most. St. Frances made their runs to try and gain control, but it seemed like Lewis' ability to break down his defender and get to the rim halted any such hope. 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1370496' first='Derek' last='Dixon']'s high level shot making was present early and helped set the tone for a 17-point performance. The senior duo of Thomas Batties (13 points, eight rebounds and four assists) and [player_tooltip player_id='1114029' first='Ryan' last='Sabol'] (10 points) both made timely contributions that helped seal the win.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>The common theme with the Panthers this season has been Pittsburgh commit [player_tooltip player_id='1114066' first='Carlton' last='Carrington']'s scoring and that remained true last night. The 6'6 guard continuously made demoralizing shots off the bounce and boasted 23 points, four rebounds and four assists in the loss. Maryland pledge [player_tooltip player_id='957025' first='Jahnathan' last='Lamothe'] scored 13 points, hauled in 11 rebounds and dished out four assists. 2025 guard [player_tooltip player_id='1370503' first='Tyler' last='Jackson'] showed flashes of his electric scoring ability with 14 points.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph -->