Seventeen-year-old Newport natives Cooper and Ace Flagg turned Portland’s Cross Insurance Arena into a roof-rocking, 6,000-person celebration on Friday night, as their No. 1 Montverde Academy Eagles romped past No. 16 Gonzaga Prep of Washington, D.C., 93-51 in Day 1 of the Maine Event.
It was possibly the most highly anticipated game of Cooper and Ace Flagg’s Montverde basketball careers, with tickets to see Cooper, the nation’s No. 1 basketball prospect, selling out within 12 hours.
Cooper got the party started just three seconds after tipoff, when Montverde senior Liam McNeely corralled a loose ball and found a streaking Flagg cutting to the basket, as Cooper slammed it home and drew an ear-popping reaction from the impassioned crowd.
Fourteen seconds later, Cooper was at it again, taking a defensive rebound down the court and finding senior Robert Wright in the corner for a three to quickly make it 5-0 Eagles.
Flagg finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and eight blocks.
Cooper’s twin brother Ace was the next Eagle to get on the board, posting up in front of Gonzaga’s basket and smoothly sinking a fadeaway jumper, drawing another booming reaction from the crowd.
Ace finished with six points and five rebounds.
By halftime, Montverde has already taken a commanding 45-22 lead.