"The ultimate summit": Hoops fans cheer IMG Academy as it turns around last year's Chipotle Nationals defeat to Montverde

IMG Academy came back from a 17-point deficit to defeat Montverde 80-78 in the Chipotle Nationals final on Saturday, causing a buzz among hoops fans on social media.

It was the perfect revenge for the IMG Academy girls, as Monteverde denied IMG the title last year.

Hoops fans hailed IMG Academy on the SportsCenter NEXT Instagram page.

A fan with the Instagram handle @adiabatik100 wrote, “OMG the pinnacle! the ultimate summit! The CHIPOTLE national champs!

Hoops fans cheer IMG Academy as they turn around their last year's Chipotle Nationals defeat to Montverde. (Image by Instagram/@sportscenternext)

@catina.antoinette wrote, “Well done ladies”

Also, a fan with the Instagram handle @studyhallruns wrote, “What a game, what a comeback.”

@abhishekmeena6282 wrote, “Don't ever let anyone dull your sparkle.”

@damell1dantzler wrote, “mcdonald’s all american snubbed!

@young_chill also commented, “Great comeback!!! Watched on ESPN!!!

@adynmitchell2033 commented, “I hate the boys couldn't get it done this year! Congrats ladies!!!

The game was a classic way to end the 2024-25 high school girls basketball season.

How did IMG Academy turn it around?

IMG Academy had a difficult semifinal on Thursday, beating Westtown School 64-61 to seal its place in the championship game. Monteverde, on the other hand, had it easier against Faith Family Academy, winning 66-54.

Both teams went into the championship game as familiar foes, as Monteverde won its third consecutive Chipotle Nationals title by beating the Ascenders 61-53 last year. This time, it looked like something similar was going to happen, but IMG Academy turned it around in the second half.

Monteverde established an 11-point lead going into the halftime break. It also started the third quarter solidly and established a 17-point lead at 56-39. However, IMG Academy produced a 15-4 run in the final minutes of the quarter to cut its deficit to six.

Then, the Ascenders outscored Montverde 19-13 in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 73-73 and send the game into overtime. IMG won overtime 7-5 for an 80-78 win.

UConn signee Kelis Fisher (ranked No. 27 by ESPN in the 2025 class) was the star of the show, as she scored a game-high 23 points for IMG Academy. Tennessee signee Deniya Prawl (ranked No. 14), a five-star recruit like Fisher, also put up 14 points for the Ascenders, while Kelsi Andrews, a four-star junior who is uncommitted, had 12 points and 13 boards.

About the author

Oluwajoba is a High School Sports writer with more than eight years of experience in the field. Oluwajoba is a graduate of Agricultural Economics and Extension from the Federal University of Technology Akure.

Oluwajoba has written for publications such as Soccernet and Pulsesports (as Chief Editor and Managing Editor) and was nominated for Football Journalist of the Year in 2019.

While he is a Dallas Mavericks fan, mainly due to Luka Doncic, Oluwajoba's favorite sporting moment came when LeBron James helped the Cleveland Cavaliers get past the Golden State Warriors in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.

When not at work or watching sports, Oluwajoba can likely be found enjoying a movie.

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Edited by Joseph Schiefelbein