Written By Paul Garwood

The night closed with a matchup that carried far more weight than a typical showcase game. Bella Vista Prep and West Oaks Academy met again, renewing the rivalry born from October’s triple-overtime Grind Session Play-In championship in Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Bella Vista won that thriller, and on Friday night in Atlanta, they reinforced the verdict with an emphatic 88–66 victory.

Both teams opened aggressively, trading early baskets and attacking the paint with purpose. West Oaks leaned into speed and transition pressure, while Bella Vista countered with poise and half-court execution. The contest remained tight until the closing minutes of the first half, when Bella Vista strung together stops and converted at the rim to enter the locker room with a 45–36 advantage.

The game pivoted sharply in the third quarter. Bella Vista’s frontcourt began imposing its will, and Jordan Charles took control of the matchup. The forward delivered one of the standout individual efforts of the event — 18 points and 11 rebounds — punctuating the surge that pushed the lead to 17 and effectively broke West Oaks’ resistance.

Point guard Noah George shaped the game in a different way. His command of the offense gave Bella Vista a stabilizing force, and his 11 points and 9 assists reflected how consistently he delivered shooters and cutters to the right spots. With six players scoring in double figures, it was clear Bella Vista didn’t rely on one hot hand:

• Jordan Charles — 18 pts, 11 reb

• Rokiem Green — 13 pts

• Dionycius Bakare — 12 pts

• Lucas Toucan — 11 pts

• Nathan Yambayamba — 11 pts

• Noah George — 11 pts, 9 ast

The Bears not only dictated pace — they owned the interior. Bella Vista won the glass 55–44, repeatedly turning misses into second-chance points or transition breaks.

West Oaks found moments of offensive rhythm, led by a standout effort from Ibrahim Basima, who scored 22 points. Moussa Sy (16 pts) and Jayden Williams (11 pts) added scoring punches, but the backcourt lacked the sustained efficiency necessary to keep the margin close once Bella Vista’s depth took over.

The rematch didn’t carry the wild swings of October’s classic, but it offered something equally meaningful: proof that Bella Vista’s identity travels. In a setting defined by speed, physicality, and postseason-style intensity, the Bears looked like one of the event’s most complete units — and a group nobody will want to see again once brackets arrive.