Championship-week energy carried into Wednesday as Day 3 of the all-women’s Grind Session continued at the DME Academy home court. With Thanksgiving break looming and the season gaining momentum, the morning delivered the final two games of the event.
Game 1: Life Prep 64, Academy of Central Florida 55
Life Prep and Academy of Central Florida were the first two teams to take the floor Wednesday morning, treating early spectators to a tightly contested first half. The squads exchanged baskets and momentum swings throughout the opening 20 minutes, with Life Prep edging into the locker room at halftime holding a slim 30–27 lead.
From there, one player seized full control of the narrative.
Point guard Lili Szabo orchestrated Life Prep’s offense like a turbocharged floor general, igniting fast breaks, splashing deep three-point shots well beyond the arc, and consistently getting her team into attack sets. Szabo finished with an extraordinary 36 points and 6 assists, fueling Life Prep’s transition assault with relentless pace.
Lili Szabo drops 36 for Life Prep
Academy of Central Florida countered with tough interior play, leaning on their frontcourt engines Alba Lemuma and Gabriela Bernal, who devoured the boards and jump-started the break for their guards. Lemuma led her team with 23 points and 9 rebounds, while Bernal posted a gritty 12 points and a massive 16 rebounds in the loss.
Lili Szabo shoots a three point shot Wednesday in Daytona Beach
Life Prep’s supporting cast delivered key contributions as well, with Valentina Ramos adding 15 points and 8 rebounds, helping to keep momentum humming.
Despite Academy of Central Florida’s late resistances, Life Prep’s fast-break pressure, piloted by Szabo’s non-stop acceleration, ultimately proved too much as they pulled away for a hard-earned 64–55 victory.
Game 2: DME Academy 94, Huntington Expression 38
The final game of the Daytona showcase was not close — and that was the point.
Coming off two days of statement wins, the home squad DME Sports Academy put on a masterclass in pace, depth, defensive disruption, and star power. Ranked #4 in the nation by ESPN in girls high school basketball, DME exploded out of the gates, racing to a 31–11 lead after the first quarter.
Sara Okeke with the short shot in the key for DME Academy
From there, depth became the dagger.
While DME rested starters for long stretches, the lead only widened. Bench units landed first-option punches and maintained stability, carrying a 49–28 cushion into halftime before re-engaging full throttle in the third quarter.
Gigi Battle, the standout senior guard and one of the Grind Session’s most electric defenders, torched the scoreboard for 20 points, with Sara Okeke adding 14 points, and both Timani Harris and Chikae Desdunes chipping 12 points each. The home team’s collective energy in the key and along the perimeter suffocated Huntington Expression Prep’s rhythm.
Gigi Battle working in the low post
Huntington’s bright spot was Chinaza Ezeani, who led her team with 18 points, but the deficit was too significant to overcome.
Sther Ubaka finishes the break with a lay up for DME
When the final horn sounded, DME walked off their home floor with a 94–38 victory, completing a spotless weekend.
Weekend Notes & Big-Picture Takeaways
- DME Sports Academy finishes 3–0, earning wins over Bella Vista, Legion Prep, and Huntington Expression.
- Lili Szabo delivered the weekend’s single most explosive performance, dictating pace and piling up points in a game her team needed most.
- The glass warfare between Life Prep and Academy of Central Florida demonstrated the advantage of elite rebounding mids that transform into transition attack weapons.
- DME’s balanced scoring and stacked depth illustrated why they remain one of the nation’s must-watch programs as the Grind Session season continues on U.S. soil.
Fans and scouts now turn their attention toward what's next as the Grind Session moves deeper into the season with global talent and high-stakes matchups still ahead. But Wednesday morning, one thing was clear: star guards win mornings and ranked home teams own afternoons here at DME — and the national spotlight is only getting brighter in Daytona.
