Less than 24 hours after its ascension to the top of the Tribune rankings, Thornton squandered a seven-point fourth-quarter lead against Hillcrest before surviving 76-69 in overtime Monday.
The Wildcats (16-1) led by as many as 12 points in the second half and 57-50 with 2 minutes 48 seconds left in regulation.
But visiting Hillcrest (9-8) closed the quarter with a 9-2 run, including two free throws by junior forward Herbert Offord (17 points, seven rebounds) with 1:16 left to tie it 59-59.
In overtime, Reggie Smith scored seven of his 21 points in a 12-4 run to stake the Wildcats to a 71-63 lead. Hillcrest, led by junior Eric Gaines’ 20 points and seven rebounds, could get no closer than five the rest of the way.
Thornton also had contributions from Richie Thompson (19 points), sophomore Jay Parker (13 points) and Trevell Rivers (11 points, 15 rebounds).
No. 8 Marshall 67, Lake Forest Academy 54: Darius Smith scored 23 of his career-high 36 points in the first half to lead the Commandos (14-5) at the Martin Luther King Dream Classic at Young.
Smith, one of the top uncommitted seniors in the nation, was 9-for-12 in outscoring Lake Forest Academy 23-16 by himself before halftime. He finished 12-for-20, including 5-for-8 from three-point range, and added six steals.
Angus Brandt, a 6-10 center from Australia, scored 15 to lead Lake Forest Academy (6-5), which trailed by as many as 28 early in the fourth quarter.
Santa Ana (Calif.) Mater Dei 86, No. 3 Young 61: The top-ranked team in the country, according to USA Today, was too much for the Dolphins (14-6) at the Hall of Fame Classic in Springfield, Mass.
Chris Colvin led Young with 18 points, Anthony Johnson had 16 and Marcus Jordan 12. Twins Travis and David Wear, both heading to North Carolina, scored 24 and 18 points, respectively, for Mater Dei.
