Link Academy (Mo.) outlasts Compass Prep (Ariz.) at Nike EYBL Scholastic Tournament

National powerhouse Link Academy (Mo.) slugged out a 46-39 win over Arizona’s Compass Prep on Wednesday night to move onto the quarterfinals of the Nike EYBL Scholarship Conference Tournament.

In a low-scoring affair that featured both good defense and not-so-good offense, Link relied on the scoring of junior guard Trent Perry (18 points, 7 rebounds) and Houston signee Chris Cenac (12 points, 5 rebounds) to lift them to victory in the second of two play-in games.

The Lions led 15-13 after one quarter, and shot an efficient 5-for-9 from the field in the first frame. Compass Prep, meanwhile, struggled to get its footing, hitting just 5 of its first 13 shots. Both teams struggled in the second quarter, as they eked out just 18 combined points to give Link a 25-21 lead heading into the break.

In a game where the lead changed hands 10 times, Link took control in the third quarter by extending its margin to double-digits. Both teams again struggled to find the basket though, shooting a combined 8 of 22 from the field and missing all five of their 3-point attempts.

Link was able to slow the game down in the fourth quarter and milk some clock, ultimately holding Compass to only 7 shot attempts and 10 points in the final frame. For the game, Compass shot just 13/42 (31%) from the field and was outrebounded 31-22 by Link’s athletic lineup.

With the victory, the Lions move on to face No. 1 seed Wasatch Academy out of Utah in the quarterfinals.