Fishers, Indiana – In a game that lived up to every bit of the hype, Prolific Prep edged out Long Island Lutheran 81-80 in overtime at the 2025 Chipotle Nationals, formerly known as the GEICO Nationals. The win marked a major milestone for Head Coach Ryan Bernardi, who earned his first victory in the event after two straight first-round exits.
Prolific Prep, the only Grind Session team in the prestigious national championship event, proved once again they belong on the big stage—now advancing to the semifinals for the first time in six seasons. The victory was fueled by a brilliant all-around performance from Kansas commit Darryn Peterson, who dropped 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists in 34 minutes of action.
“This was a huge win for our team to get the monkey off our back at Chipotle,” Coach Bernardi said after the game. Our team was never too high or too low. Unbelievable response to adversity by our group.”
Adversity came early and often. Prolific Prep lost star forward Niko Bundalo in the first half due to injury, while Long Island Lutheran had to finish the game without standout guard Nigel James, who was ejected in the second half after receiving his second technical foul.
The game was tight from the opening tip. Long Island Lutheran led 17-15 after the first quarter and held a 37-34 advantage at halftime. They were powered by Kiyan Anthony and Dylan Mingo, who each finished with 22 points in the narrow loss.
But when the lights were brightest, Prolific’s stars delivered.
Winters Grady provided a strong second-half surge, knocking down shots from deep, attacking the rim, and grabbing six rebounds. His two clutch free throws in overtime ultimately sealed the victory. Mazi Mosley also came through in the clutch, scoring 11 points, including a pair of key threes down the stretch.
Defensively, Obinna Ekezie Jr. made a major impact in the paint, finishing with 7 rebounds and 3 blocks while holding down the fort against Long Island’s bigs. Prolific Prep won the rebounding battle 40-33, which proved to be a decisive edge in a one-point game.
With the win, Prolific Prep advances to face Dynamic Prep tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. in a semifinal showdown with a spot in the National Championship game on the line.
One hurdle cleared for Coach Bernardi and his team—now just two more to go.
