No. 3 Paul VI Catholic (Va.) wins City of Palms title

Needing another standout performance from five-star shooting guard Jordan Smith Jr., Paul VI Catholic (Va.) was able to pull off winning the City of Palms Classic title on Tuesday night in Fort Myers.

Smith Jr., who was named the tournament’s most valuable player, partially blocked a shot in the waning seconds as Paul Catholic VI knocked off Archbishop Stepanic (N.Y.), 57-53, at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena.

The Panthers, which held a 30-22 lead going into halftime, held off a furious run by the Crusaders all throughout the second half. What was assured, though, was that Smith Jr. wasn’t going to let Archbishop Stepanic walk out of the gymnasium with the tournament trophy.

Smith Jr., who finished with 31 points, six rebounds and four assists on the night, had to find ways to make plays down the stretch other than on the offensive end. Both teams entered the fourth quarter tied at 42-all and that’s where the Panthers began to find a little bit of life shooting the ball.

Paul VI Catholic (10-0) was up 52-51 in the final minute and Smith Jr. made the important pass of the night, finding a wide open Lawrence Brown for a knock down 3-pointer to go ahead by four. With the partially blocked shot moments later, it ended up being the other most important play of the game.

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