LaMelo Ball Drops 30 Points, Dishes 13 Assists in Spire Institute's Win vs. LCA

LaMelo Ball had 30 points and 13 assists as he led Spire Institute to a 91-79 win over Life Christian Academy on Wednesday at Virginia State University in Petersburg, Virginia.

Ball outscored LCA, 12-11, in the first quarter en route to his dominating performance.

He finished the first half with 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting in addition to five assists, per Jack Herron of Prep Hoops Virginia. Spire took a 45-34 lead into halftime.

LCA hung around and even cut the deficit to as few as four points with 4:43 remaining. However, Spire was able to pull away before the 12-point victory thanks in part to Ball's efforts, as noted by Keion Robinson of Phenom Hoop Report:

The game's top highlight may have actually been a Ball turnover, as he was called for offensive goaltending on a ferocious putback slam:

Eric Kolenich of the Richmond Times-Dispatch noted the pregame hype, as fans were calling Life Christian Academy well in advance of the team's game against Spire. LCA moved the game to Virginia State University's Multi-Purpose Center, which seats 6,000 people. Tickets were $13.

Samantha Pell of the Washington Post posted pregame video of Ball entering the court with the majority of seats already filled:

Mark "Rocket" Watts, a Michigan State commit who also plays for Spire, pitched in 10 points, four assists and three boards in 22 minutes.

Recruit information via 247Sports.