Prolific Academy of California outlasts Raleigh’s Word of God for tournament title

Prolific Prep of California left Broughton’s Holliday Gymnasium a 81-74 winner over Word Of God in Friday’s T.J. Warren bracket championship game of the 50th John Wall Holiday Invitational.

The Holy Rams led by four points at halftime (39-35) thanks in part to the hot 3-point shooting (among 14 first half points) by Davin Cosby, Jr., who drained 4-of-5 from deep.

Cosby, though, went scoreless in the second half

“They made a run at the right time,” Word Of God coach Byron Williams said. “Their kids hit some big shots.”

Trey Greene and tournament MVP Aden Holloway led Prolific Prep with 26 and 20 points, respectively. Greene and Holloway netted back-to-back 3-pointers just before the game’s three-minute mark to put their team up 73-65.

Word of God had nine steals and committed just six turnovers. Prolific Prep, though, outscored the Holy Rams 23-8 at the free throw line.

Word Of God, runners-up for the third consecutive year, played with recent enrollee Jayden Quaintance — a 6-foot-9, 210-pound sophomore among the Class of 2025’s top 30 players.

Michael Nwoko, who transferred to Prolific Prep from The Burlington School (a 2021 Holiday Invitational champion) — where Prolific Prep coach Ryan Bernardi coached last season — added 12 points, as did teammate Zion Sensley.

“I thought our kids battled through a lot of adversity,” Bernardi said. “We’re really, really happy to win.”

Quaintance, who started, played 13:49 and scored five points. His layup with 3:57 remaining pulled Word of God within 67-65 before Greene’s and Holloway’s back-to-back trifectas.

Jamal Brown and Isaiah Coleman added 13 and 11, respectively, for the Holy Rams.

Williams, following the game, confirmed tournament Most Outstanding Player Freddie DiLione (18 points) will be graduating early and enrolling at Tennessee.

“It was mutual between the family and I,” Williams said. “It’s good for Freddie to go and get a jump start with coach (Rick) Barnes.”

This story was originally published December 30, 2022 at 11:00 PM with the headline "Prolific Academy of California outlasts Raleigh’s Word of God for tournament title."