MARCH 6, 2026 — In thrilling fashion, the Hargrave Tigers are your 2026 Elite Prep League Tournament champions with an 87-86 overtime victory over #1 seed, and fierce rival, Massanutten Military Academy! The 2026 EPL Tournament title marks the second championship for Hargrave since the Elite Prep League was founded in 2022. After squandering an 8 point second half lead, Hargrave found themselves down by 1 with 3.9 seconds left following a pair of missed Massanutten free throws that could have iced the game. With new life, Jordan Hunter ’27 (Vienna, VA) flew down the court and laid the ball in at the buzzer to give the Tigers an absolutely exhilarating win! Throughout the course of the week, the Tigers got key performances up and down their roster but none more impressive than Shane Pendergrass ’26 (Upper Marlboro, MD) who took home tournament MVP by averaging 24.0 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game, and 3.0 assists per game! Below is a recap of the Tigers path to a championship with notable performances:
3/4 Elite Prep League Quarterfinals vs #6 Spire, W 72-62
Shane Pendergrass ’26 (Upper Marlboro, MD) — 22 points (8-14 FG, 2-4 3 FG), 10 rebounds, 3 assists
Jhett Carter ’26 (Titusville, FL) — 18 points (6-10 FG, 2-4 3FG), 7 rebounds, 2 steals
LJ Holman ’27 (Lexington, KY) — 15 points (5-9 FG, 3-5 3FG), 6 rebounds, 1 steal
Yaw Ansong ’26 (South Plainfield, NJ) — 9 points (4-5 FG), 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Damon Phillips ’26 (Raleigh, NC) — 3 points (1-1 3FG), 5 rebounds, 3 steals
3/5 Elite Prep League Semifinals vs #2 Mt. Zion Prep, W 77-66
Shane Pendergrass ’26 (Upper Marlboro, MD) — 28 points (11-16 FG, 3-5 3FG), 11 rebounds, 3 assists
JJ Sullivan ’26 (St. Paul, MN) — 15 points (5-7 FG, 4-6 3FG), 3 rebounds, 4 assists
Jhett Carter ’26 (Titusville, FL) — 11 points, 5 rebounds 1 assist
Jordan Hunter ’27 (Vienna, VA) — 10 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist
LJ Holman ’27 (Lexington, KY) — 10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
3/6 Elite Prep League Championship vs #1 Massanutten, W 87-86 (OT)
Shane Pendergrass ’26 (Upper Marlboro, MD) — 22 points (8-15 FG), 9 rebounds, 3 assists
Jordan Hunter ’27 (Vienna, VA) — 18 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists
JJ Sullivan ’26 (St. Paul, MN) — 17 points (5-10 FG, 4-7 3FG), 3 rebounds, 2 assists
Jhett Carter ’26 (Titusville, FL) — 13 points (4-6 FG), 5 rebounds, 2 assists
Yaw Ansong ’26 (South Plainfield, NJ) — 9 points (4-6 FG, 1-1 3FG), 4 rebounds, 1 assist
LJ Holman ’27 (Lexington, KY) — 6 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist
