Austin scores 25 points to lift Imhotep past St. Joseph's Prep

In what was billed as a star-studded showdown between Imhotep Charter's Brandon Austin and St. Joseph's Prep's Miles Overton, Austin shined brighter as the Panthers posted a 61-56 win in the Kyle Lowry FamJuice TipOff Sunday at Philadelphia University.

Austin, the 6-foot-6 senior guard who plans to play at Providence College next season, paced Imhotep with 25 points, scoring from all over the court.

"I wanted to make a point, prove that I'm one of the best players in the city and the country," Austin said, clutching his game MVP trophy close to his chest. "Miles is a great player, but I made a point to chase him all over around the three-point line, not let him get easy looks."

Overton, a 6-4 Wake Forest recruit, struggled to get his shot off against the lankier Austin, hitting four of 14 shots en route to 10 points.

While Overton valiantly tried to escape his shadow, Prep forward Steve Vasturia picked up the slack, scoring 26 points to keep his team competitive.

As Prep's shooting ran cold, Imhotep began attacking the basket more, attempting 23 free throws in the second half after taking only two foul shots in the first.

Derryl Bagwell scored 12 points and Basil Thompson 11 for the Panthers, opening up lanes for their star to attack the basket.

"My teammates made the game easy for all of us," Austin said. "When they hit shots and I can drive, we'll either get a layup or get fouled, and that's a good way to win games."

Imhotep Charter   15 10 20 16 – 61

St. Joseph Prep   8 26 7 15 – 56

Imhotep: Brandon Austin 25, Derryl Bagwell 12, Basil Thompson 11, Abraham Massaley 6, Nigel Grant 4, Dymimr Logan 2, Jakwon Jones 1.

St. Joseph's Prep: Steve Vasturia 26, Miles Overton 10, Kyle Thompson 8, Dan Sherry 7, PJ Kelly 5.