Columbus boys basketball crushes Evans, ready for showdown of state’s top-ranked teams

Not everyone believes in the Columbus Explorers.

The Explorers (26-4), who are one victory away from a third consecutive state title, smashed Orlando Evans 78-56 in a Class 7A semifinal on Friday.

After the game, Evans coach Lonza Morgan was asked about Columbus’ chances to defeat Oak Ridge (27-3) in Saturday night’s highly-anticipated state final at 8 p.m.

“I’m riding with Oak Ridge,” Morgan said. “I think they match up well with Columbus. They have the physicality. They have the shooters. They have the wings who can stretch Columbus out, and they have someone who can guard (Explorers star Cameron) Boozer.”

Perhaps, as Morgan hinted, it’s an Orlando thing. Evans and Oak Ridge are both from the Orlando metropolitan area, and Morgan perhaps was merely backing his local team.

Or, perhaps Morgan knows something, and Oak Ridge – rated No. 2 in the state – is poised to upset a Columbus team ranked No. 1 in the nation by MaxPreps.

But the third possibility is that Morgan is just wrong.

There was a lot of evidence to go with what’s behind “Door Number Three” in this showcase as Columbus looked highly impressive on Friday.

The Explorers – an outstanding defensive team that is lethal on the fast break – looked even more dangerous on Friday because they were making shots.

In the first half alone, Columbus made 7-of-11 on 3-pointers.

“We do a great job attacking the basket with lobs, and we finish well in the paint,” Columbus coach Andrew Moran said. “When we’re also knocking in 3-pointers, it makes us a whole lot better.”

That’s an understatement.

If the Explorers shoot like this, they may be unstoppable, which is how they looked for most of Friday.

Cameron Boozer, a 6-9 forward and the No. 2 junior in the nation according to ESPN, was a monster on Friday, scoring 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting, including 2-of-4 on 3-pointers, and he also made 5-of-7 free throws.

In addition, he grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, including four on the offensive boards; he blocked two shots, he dished two assists; and he drew five fouls while committing just one.

Boozer muscled past … and seemingly through defenders in the paint, and he also showed his passing skills with his look-ahead dimes.

“That’s something we talk about a lot – sharing the ball,” Boozer said. “We always play for each other. We want everyone to shine. We make the extra pass, giving up a good look for a great one.”

As for his rebounds, Boozer said he wanted to “make (Evans) pay for being undersized.”

Boozer’s twin brother, Cayden, had a solid game with nine points, a game-high 10 assists, two steals and just two turnovers.

When the Explorers got out on the fast break, Cayden Boozer often had a multitude of open targets.

“It makes the game easier,” Cayden Boozer said, “because we have a lot of great weapons.”

That explains how Columbus shot a red-hot 59.6 percent from the floor for the game, including 52.9 percent on 3-pointers (9-of-17).

Joining Cameron Boozer as Columbus’ double-digit scorers were Jase Richardson, who had 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 1-of-2 on 3-pointers; and Benny Fragella, who had 12 points on 4-of-6 from deep.

Columbus dominated Evans in paint points (44-14) and fast-break points (19-2).

About the only negative for Columbus was the fact that Evans star Arosco Dubois scored a career-high 33 points on 11-for-25 shooting, including 9-of-16 from deep.

Despite the big numbers, Dubois also made a game-high four turnovers, and Evans was minus-20 when he was on the floor.

“He was hitting tough shots,” Richardson said. “We tried to run him off the 3-point line.”

As for Saturday’s matchup with Oak Ridge, Columbus’ players merely smirked when told that the Evans coach had predicted an Explorers loss.

“We come up here to win,” Moran said. “We’re excited to have the opportunity to do it again.”