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In a matchup preceded by some trash-talking from Ballou High (D.C.) guard Zalmico Harmon, the Stags disposed of the District champs, 80-70, to win the City Title game at Verizon Center before a crowd of 7,553.

Junior guard Quinn Cook scored a game-high 28 points for DeMatha (31-3 overall) and Jerian Grant added 17. Donte Thomas led Ballou (30-7) with 24 points and Christian Leach added 18 points and seven rebounds.

In February, after a victory against highly regarded private school power Montrose Christian, Harmon told the Washington Post, "Now, it's the City Title game, we've got to get that one. We have something for DeMatha. I don't think Quinn Cook can handle it."

The Stags easily pulled away from Ballou in the fourth quarter, earning their second consecutive City Title and 21st overall. DeMatha coach Mike Jones said his team embraced the hype instead of getting caught up in it.

"Zalmico Harmon was the first guy I shook hands with and he said he didn't mean anything by the stuff they were talking and we didn't take it that way," said Jones. "But what did it do, I don't know how many people were here, but without Zalmico's comments and us reacting, we don't get the crowd we had."

"As soon as we won the [Washington Catholic Athletic Conference] championship we started focusing on Ballou," said Cook. "I love the trash talking but I let my game speak for itself."

Ballou was left breathless in the fourth quarter as Cook and DeMatha beat the Knights' defense for layups on several occasions. Ballou was within four points at 57-53 early in the fourth quarter before Grant went in for a layup, starting a 14-4 run that expanded DeMatha's lead to 71-57 with 3 minutes, 14 seconds remaining.

Cook, who played last summer with the U.S. National U-16 team that won the FIBA Americas title in Argentina, scored the final eight points in the run. The Stags didn't trail after the opening quarter.

Jerian Grant was the spark on both ends, scoring 11 points in the first half. The Stags overwhelmed Ballou with their depth with Justin Black (four points, five rebounds), Jerami Grant (eight points), Marquellous Bell and 6-foot-7 freshman Beejay Anya (four points).

"That's the great thing about DeMatha because our bench guys can go other places and be stars but they accept their roles," said Cook.

Early in the game, Ballou appeared primed for an upset, scoring the game's first seven points. But DeMatha showed its explosiveness in a dazzling 90-second stretch as James Robinson hit a jumper from the corner, a steal by Victor Oladipo led to a Jerian Grant dunk and junior center Mikael Hopkins (13 points) grabbed a miss by Cook and scored to give the Stags a 10-9 lead.

Hopkins got another miss by Cook (12 for 23 shooting) and slammed it, giving the Stags the lead for good at 16-14. Cook's 3-pointer from the corner sent DeMatha to a 37-30 halftime advantage.

"The City Title game needs to get back to being the premier high school event in the area," said Jones, whose team heads to Cumberland, Md. Thursday through Saturday for the Alhambra Catholic Invitational. "That's what happened with all the talking back and forth. I'm happy with the way it happened."