ATLANTA – On April 4, Cole Anthony will lead Oak Hill Academy (Mouth of Wilson, Va.) into the GEICO Nationals in New York to compete for the national title and he’s looking for any competitive edge he can use to accomplish that goal.
On Wednesday night he got that mental advantage, scoring 14 points, grabbing five rebounds and handing out seven assists to lead the East past the West 115-100 in the McDonald’s All American Game at State Farm Arena.
Anthony was named MVP of the game.
Precious Achiuwa scored 22 points, Wendel Moore scored 13 points and Isaiah Stewart added 16 points in the win. Tyrese Maxey and James Wiseman led the West with 13 points.
“The win, honestly, means way more to me than winning the MVP,” Anthony said. “We played really unselfishly and that’s just a testament to our chemistry.”
After trailing 60-49 at the half, Oscar Tshiebwe scored five points to ignite a 10-1 run to pull the West to within two, but the East countered with 10-2 run of their own to extend the lead.
“This is a lot different from GEICO Nationals,” Anthony said. “I’ve got to go and lock in with my team now, but this was a good chance to come down and compete against the best.”
The game brought out a who’s who of Atlanta’s A-Listers, including multiple NBA stars like Vince Carter and Trae Young.
Legendary hip hop group Migos ignited the crowd with their halftime performance.
“This has been a dream come true,” Maxey said. “I got to spend time with all of the guys and we’ve just been having a lot of fun. I just think the whole experience was a blessing.”
Follow Jason Jordan on Twitter: @JayJayUSATODAY
