With a career-high forty points, Cameron Boozer leads No. 1 Columbus past No. 9 McEachern 86-59.

Reigning National Player of the Year Cameron Boozer erupted for a career-high 40 points to guide No. 1 Columbus (Miami, Fla.) to an 86-59 victory over No. 9 McEachern (Powder Springs, Ga.) on Friday night at Holiday Hoopsgiving in Atlanta, Ga.

The 6-foot-9 junior forward shot 13 of 18 from the field, 3 of 6 from 3-point range and 11 of 11 from the free throw line. He also pulled down 10 rebounds and dished out a pair of assists to help overcome the absence of brother Cayden Boozer in the contest.

Columbus led 43-40 at halftime despite 24 first-half points from five-star Rutgers signee Airious Bailey, who finished with a team-high 31 points.

The Explorers extended their advantage to 10 at the end of the third quarter before outscoring McEachern 24-7 in the final eight minutes.

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Columbus shot 64.5 percent from the field and 43.8 percent from 3-point range. McEachern shot just 33.3 percent from the field and 27.2 percent from beyond the arc.

Under-the-radar senior guard Randy Smith chipped in 14 points, two rebounds and two assists while top 50 Michigan State signee Jase Richardson contributed 13 points, nine assists and six rebounds in the victory.

Boozer’s 40-point performance outpaces his previous career-high of 33 recorded against San Ysidro (San Diego, Calif.) last season as a sophomore and against Killian (Miami, Fla.) during his freshman campaign.

Columbus (2-0) returns to action tomorrow to face National Top 10 No. 8 Wasatch Academy (Mt. Pleasant, Utah) at Holiday Hoopsgiving.

McEachern (1-2) looks to rebound with an in-state showdown against Dutchtown (Hampton, Ga.) at the Hard in the Paint Classic.