AZ Compass' national title dream ends with loss to Link Academy in GEICO final
Chandler AZ Compass Prep, playing for the GEICO national basketball championship for the first time, got behind Link Academy by double digits in the first half and couldn't come up with another rally, losing 73-55 in Fort Myers, Florida, on Saturday before an ESPN national audience.
This eight-team tournament was for national high school programs that get players from all over the world are are prep academies.
Arizona-grown guard Tru Washington carried the Dragons to the final in a 68-50 rout of national powerhouse IMG Academy of Florida in Friday's semifinal with 18 points and seven steals. It came a day after the Dragons stunned No. 2-seed Long Island Lutheran (New York) in the quarterfinals.
But the 6-foot-4 guard, who has committed to New Mexico, wasn't able to lead another comeback, after the seventh-seeded Dragons trailed IMG by five at the half and eventually win 68-50.
This time, Link Academy (27-1) led 35-25 at the half and built its lead to 18 points with Washington leading the Dragons with 10 points entering the final quarter.
Top-seeded Link is only in its second year as a program out of Branson, Missouri.
Baylor signee Ja'Kobe Walter, a McDonald's All-American, led the Lions with 21 points. Junior Tyler McKinley added 17 points and six rebounds.
Washington, who played the last two years at Phoenix Mountain Pointe in the AIA, finished with 13 points, four rebounds and two assists to lead AZ Compass, which finished 24-7 on the season. Rayvon Griffith had 12 points off the bench.
Link Academy shot 53% in the game and held AZ Compass to 39% shooting.
McDonald's All-American Mookie Cook, an Oregon signee, was held to two points.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: AZ Compass' national title dream comes short in loss to Link Academy
