Grind Session Dallas – Final Day Recap
Nolan Catholic High School | Dallas, Texas
The final day of Grind Session Dallas wrapped up Sunday morning at Nolan Catholic High School with four competitive matchups featuring teams from across the United States and abroad. From high-level women’s play to nationally ranked men’s programs closing out the weekend, the event delivered another full slate of physical, fast-paced basketball.
Game 1 – Grind Prep (OK) vs. Albuquerque Prep (NM)
Sunday morning tipped off with a regional battle between Oklahoma and New Mexico as Grind Prep faced Albuquerque Prep. The game opened tightly contested, but Grind Prep began to separate late in the first quarter and never looked back winning 90-47.
Behind the strong play of De’Andra Minor, Grind Prep steadily built momentum and pushed the lead to 17 points by halftime. Albuquerque Prep suffered a tough moment early in the second quarter when star center Tamiah “Tink” Garywent down with a gash over her right eye while battling for position under the boards. Gary would return late in the second quarter, but by then Grind Prep had already established a comfortable double-digit cushion.
Grind Prep controlled the tempo throughout the second half to close out the win and start the final day with authority.
Game 2 – Star Alliance (Italy) vs. Albuquerque Prep (NM)
The second game of the morning featured Star Alliance from Italy squaring off against Albuquerque Prep. Star Alliance wasted no time asserting itself, dominating from the opening tip and cruising to an 86–53 victory.
The Italian squad was led by Ricards Aizpurs, who poured in 18 points, and Fallou Sow, who added 17 in a balanced offensive attack. Star Alliance’s ball movement and pace proved too much for Albuquerque Prep to slow down.
Albuquerque Prep was led by DJ Smith with 12 points, Caiden Klayborn with 11, and Brandon Mason Jr. with 7 points in the loss. With the win, Star Alliance wrapped up its U.S. trip and will head back to Italy on Monday, flying out of Atlanta to Rome in time for the Christmas holiday. Albuquerque Prep now returns home to New Mexico for the break.
Game 3 – Academy of Central Florida vs. Mt. Zion Prep
Game three saw Academy of Central Florida take on Mt. Zion Prep, and Central Florida controlled the game from start to finish. The difference was the dominant interior presence of Symon Ghai, who put together an impressive performance.
Ghai, who is committed to play college basketball at Northwestern University next season, finished with 19 points and 7 rebounds while anchoring the paint on both ends of the floor. Teammate Martay Barnes added 16 points, along with 4 assists and 2 blocks, as Central Florida pulled away early and never allowed Mt. Zion to get back into the contest.
Final Score: Academy of Central Florida 84, Mt. Zion Prep 54.
Game 4 – Dynamic Prep (TX) vs. Zephyrhills Christian (FL)
The second to the last game of the weekend featured a marquee matchup as Dynamic Prep of Dallas—ranked No. 1 on the ESPN High School Top 25—took on Zephyrhills Christian from Florida.
Zephyrhills came out a step slow but quickly settled in behind Toni Bryant, tying the game 17–17 at the end of the first quarter. From there, the contest remained competitive, with Zephyrhills battling throughout and refusing to back down.
Dynamic Prep’s depth and physicality proved decisive in the second half. Austin Goosby led the way with 17 points and 9 rebounds, while Marcus Spears contributed 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Bryant led all scorers in the game, finishing with a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds in the loss.
Final Score: Dynamic Prep 61, Zephyrhills Christian 54.
Game 5 - SEPA Closes Out Dallas with a Win
SEPA closed out the day with a win over iSchool. CJ Rosser had 11 first half points to give SEPA a lead of 44-33 going in to the locker room. SEPA won 85-63 with Jaxon Richardson having an impressive 3rd quarter ending up wit 16 points and 9 rebounds.
With Sunday’s games complete, Grind Session Dallas officially came to a close, capping off a strong weekend of elite prep basketball at Nolan Catholic High School. Teams now head home for the Christmas holiday as the Grind Session circuit continues to showcase top talent from across the country—and around the world.
