Bella Vista Prep (Ariz.) squeaks past Montverde Academy (Fla.) for upset win at Nike EYBL Scholastic Tournament

Buoyed by a 19-point outing from junior guard Miles Sadler, Scottsdale (Ariz.) CIA Bella Vista Prep knocked off national powerhouse Montverde Academy (Fla.) 63-60 on Thursday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the Nike EYBL Scholastic Conference Tournament.

The Bears, who improved to 27-11 on the year, held down Montverde’s high-powered offense, limiting the Eagles to just two players in double-figures.

Sadler, one of the top junior recruits in the country, took over on the offensive end, getting his 19 points on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting effort. Rokiem Green pitched in 15 of his own, but all had three other players with at least eight points.

Miles Sadler and CIA defeat Montverde to advance to the semifinals of the EYBL Scholastic Tournament 🔥🔥@milesadler_ pic.twitter.com/HCzCMwDniO

— League Ready (@LeagueRDY) March 6, 2025

Defensively, they limited Creighton signee and top-50 national recruit Hudson Greer to 0 points in 21 minutes. Florida commit CJ Ingram led the way with 19 points for Montverde on 7-13 shooting, while Indiana signee Trent Sisley added 17 points and 7 rebounds of his own.

Bella Vista jumped out a 20-12 advantage after a huge first quarter where the Bears shot 8-for-13 from the field and limited Montverde to just four made baskets. The defending national champions responded in the second frame though. Hitting 3 of 4 from behind the arc, they took a 31-30 lead into the halftime break.

Despite 18 second-chance points, Montverde couldn’t overcome Bella Vista’s red-hot offense over the final two quarters. Led by Sadler’s array of driving layups and jumpers, they hit 12 of their final 21 shots and used 24 bench points to pull out the victory.

Bella Vista now moves on to face the winner of Long Island Lutheran (N.Y.) and Brewster Academy (N.H.) in Friday’s semifinals.