For the first time in tournament history, the Buffalo came out on top in the Battle at The Villages.

Before a near-capacity crowd Saturday night inside the VHS Gymnasium on the campus of The Villages High School in Middleton, the Buffalo surged past Windermere late for a 77-74 victory to capture an elusive Battle title.

After 10 years of trying and failing, it was the 11th annual event – played over three days against three worthy opponents – that finally saw VHS come out victorious.

Aaron Britt, Jr. and Adyn Corbin each scored 20 points to lead the way for the Buffalo, while Terrance Drain tallied 35 points for Windermere in a losing effort.

Here’s a look at the rest of the action on the final day of play:

SATURDAY’S RESULTS
Seventh-Place Game: Berkeley Prep 60, Mt. Bethel Christian 57 (OT)
Fifth-Place Game: Hillgrove 69, Cypress Bay 54
Third-Place Game: Impact Christian 57, Santa Fe Catholic 55
Championship Game: The Villages 77, Windermere 74

TOURNAMENT ACCOLADES
All-Tournament Team: Gabe Grimsley (Berkeley Prep), Peter Julius (Mt. Bethel Christian), Ernesto Pell (Cypress Bay), Asa Montgomery (Hillgrove), Tate Darner (Santa Fe Catholic), Ronald Clark (Impact Christian), Sean Owens (Windermere), Korvante Hatter (Windermere)
Impact Player: Adyn Corbin (The Villages)
Most Outstanding Defensive Player: Herly Brutus (The Villages)
Most Valuable Player: Terrance Drain (Windermere)
Most Outstanding Player: Aaron Britt, Jr. (The Villages)

A championship matchup was set for the 11th annual Battle at The Villages on Friday inside the VHS Gymnasium at The Villages High School in Middleton.

Tournament host VHS and Windermere will meet in Saturday night’s title game – scheduled for 7 p.m. – after each team earned convincing wins in their respective semifinals on Friday.

The Buffalo knocked down 15 three-pointers en route to an 80-62 victory over Impact Christian, while the Wolverines used a strong fourth-quarter effort to secure a 70-55 win against Santa Fe Catholic.

Here’s a look back at the Day 2 action:

FRIDAY’S RESULTS
Cypress Bay 50, Berkeley Prep 34
Ernesto Pell scored 13 points and Chris Leone added 11 for Cypress Bay, as the Lightning dispatched Berkeley Prep in the day’s first consolation semifinal. Jadus Sorhaindo tallied 10 points to pace the Buccaneers.
Hillgrove 68, Mt. Bethel Christian 60
Asa Montgomery led the way with 14 points and Christian Futch scored 12 for the Hawks, as Hillgrove picked off Mt. Bethel Christian in the second consolation semifinal. Trumane Watkins scored a game-high 19 points for the Eagles in the loss.
Windermere 70, Santa Fe Catholic 55
The Wolverines advanced to Saturday’s championship behind 25 points from Terrance Drain and 18 points by Sean Owens in Friday’s first semifinal. Ethan Knox tallied 18 points for the Hawks in a losing effort.
The Villages 80, Impact Christian 62
Aaron Britt, Jr. scored a game-high 25 points and Adyn Corbin added 21 for the Buffalo, who will appear in their third Battle title game in event history on Saturday night. Chris Jackson scored 22 points for the Lions in Friday night’s second semifinal.

SATURDAY’S SCHEDULE
Seventh-Place Game: Berkeley Prep vs. Mt. Bethel Christian, 1 p.m.
Fifth-Place Game: Cypress Bay vs. Hillgrove, 3 p.m.
Third-Place Game: Santa Fe Catholic vs. Impact Christian, 5 p.m.
Championship Game: Windermere vs. The Villages, 7 p.m.

Tickets for the final day of the 2024 Battle at The Villages can be purchased in advance by clicking here: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/buffalo-stampeders/2024-battle-at-the-villages

A livestream broadcast of the tournament’s final day can also be purchased here: https://battleatthevillages.com/livestream/

The 11th annual Battle in The Villages tipped off Thursday inside the VHS Gymnasium on the campus of The Villages High School gymnasium in Middleton.

Here’s a look at the first day of play:

THURSDAY’S RESULTS
Santa Fe Catholic 62, Berkeley Prep 54
Tate Darner scored 19 points and Toby Lane added 16 for Santa Fe Catholic, who advanced to Friday’s semifinals with a 62-54 win. Gabe Grimsely led the way for Berkeley Prep with a game-high 26 points.
Windermere 85, Cypress Bay 60
Sean Owens tallied 21 points and Terrance Drain scored 18, as Windermere rolled to an 85-60 win over Cypress Bay. Chris Leone had 15 points for Cypress Bay.
Impact Christian 69, Mt. Bethel Christian 59
A game-high 22 points for Ronald Clark and 13 from Jeremiah Jones paced Impact Christian in a 69-59 win over Mt. Bethel Christian. Nate Robinson scored 16 points for the Eagles.
The Villages 76, Hillgrove 52
Adyn Corbin scored 26 points to lead all scorers and Jared Thompson added 14 to secure a 76-52 win for The Villages over Hillgrove. Asa Montgomery led the way for Hillgrove with 13 points.

FRIDAY’S SCHEDULE
Berkeley Prep vs. Cypress Bay, 1 p.m.
Mt. Bethel Christian vs. Hillgrove, 3 p.m.
Santa Fe Catholic vs. Windermere, 5 p.m.
Impact Christian vs. The Villages, 7 p.m.

Tickets for the 2024 Battle at The Villages, available for $20 per day, can be purchased in advance online here: https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/buffalo-stampeders/2024-battle-at-the-villages

The livestream broadcast of the tournament can also be purchased here: https://battleatthevillages.com/livestream/

The 11th annual Battle at The Villages, hosted by the Buffalo Stampeders Youth Sports Club, takes place Dec. 26-28 inside the VHS Gymnasium on the campus of The Villages High School in Middleton.

A collection of six teams from across the Sunshine State will descend upon the Sumter County campus, while a pair of out-of-state squads — both hailing from Georgia — will bring a total of eight participants to the three-day event.

Tickets are can be purchased online by clicking here and will be available at the door for $20 each day.

2024 TEAMS

• The Villages (Middleton, Fla.) seeks its elusive first Battle championship after coming up empty in 10 previous tries. The Buffalo finished 20-12 overall last winter and made an appearance in the Class 4A Final Four in Lakeland.
• Berkeley Prep (Tampa, Fla.) makes its third trip to the Battle at The Villages, having previously played in the 2018 and 2022 editions, respectively. The Buccaneers finished 23-7 overall last season and made an appearance in the Class 3A Final Four in Lakeland.
• Impact Christian (Jacksonville, Fla.) makes its second trip to the tournament, previously participating in the 2020 edition. The Lions finished 18-11 overall last winter and made an appearance in the Class 2A Final Four in Lakeland.
• Windermere (Windermere, Fla.) makes its first appearance at the event. The Wolverines finished 20-9 last season and advanced to the Class 7A regional semifinals.
• Santa Fe Catholic (Lakeland, Fla.) makes its first Battle at The Villages appearance. The Hawks finished with a 24-6 overall record last season and advanced to the Class 3A regional semifinals.
• Cypress Bay (Weston, Fla.) makes its first tournament appearance. The Lightning went 16-11 last winter and advanced to the Class 7A regional quarterfinals.
• Hillgrove (Powder Springs, Ga.) makes its first-ever trip to the Battle at The Villages. The Hawks finished 16-11 overall last season and advanced to the Georgia Class 7A regional quarterfinals.
• Mt. Bethel Christian (Marietta, Ga.) makes its first Battle appearance. The Eagles went 15-7 last winter and failed to make the Georgia state playoffs.

“I’m excited for the 11th annual Battle at The Villages, featuring six of the best teams from Florida and two Atlanta-area powerhouse programs. Basketball fans can expect to see 12 of the best high school games this year in the VHS Gymnasium. I can’t wait to add another exciting chapter to the Battle and seeing these eight teams compete here in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.”
– Marty Dzuro, BATV Tournament Committee Chairman