The highly anticipated matchup between two of the top high school basketball teams in the country did not disappoint.
No. 12 ranked Camden defeated No. 11 ranked Sierra Canyon in an exciting 66-62 win Saturday night at the PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Camden was led by number one ranked player in the class of 2023, D.J.Wagner, who scored 21 points for the Panthers.
The game was filled with a slew of highlight plays including some statement dunks, blocks, and even an ankle breaker. Camden started the game off hot and took a demanding 15-2 lead early on.
As expected, Sierra Canyon wasn’t going down without a fight as they rallied in the second quarter to cut the lead to 35-24 after some back and forth scoring before the buzzer. Five-star UCLA commit and number two ranked player in the class of 2022, Amari Bailey, scored 12 of his game-high 23 points in the second quarter.
In addition to the increased scoring by Sierra Canyon, the Trailblazers 6’9” center, Jeremiah Nyarko, had a block party with three of his game-high four blocks in the second quarter.
After half, Sierra Canyon continued to chip away at the deficit and were able to cut it to eight entering the fourth quarter. Bronny James, four-star guard in the class of 2023, had a highlight reel play in the third quarter when he met seven-footer, and four-star center in the class of 2023, Aaron Bradshaw at the rim denying him the basket. Bradshaw put together a solid game for Camden that included 15 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks.
The game only got better as Sierra Canyon was able to cut Camdens lead to four, making the score 52-48. Shortly after, Camden guard D.J. Wagner made a beautiful move that left his defender, Bronny James, on the ground before draining the mid-range jump shot.
Later on, Sierra Canyon’s number two ranked sophomore, Isaiah Elohim hit a corner three to cut the lead to 54-51. The inability for Sierra Canyon to stop Wagner ultimately halted their comeback hopes after Camden went on a 6-0 run. The remainder of the game included mostly free-throws as Camden was able to hold on for the win.
Camden now improves to 13-2 on the season with their sixth straight win as Sierra Canyon drops to 20-3 after a hard fought game.
