Girls’ basketball: Miami High, Gibbons will face daunting obstacles at state
The final day of the 2022 girls’ state basketball finals could have just been billed as South Florida vs. Orlando.
Five teams from either Miami-Dade or Broward counties clashed with the best from the Orlando area for championships.
South Florida teams got the best of the series 3-2 with Plantation American Heritage, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas and Miami Christian coming out on top in their respective classifications.
But the most exciting game was one that a South Florida team did not win.
Miami High went down to the wire with Dr. Phillips before losing a 47-45 heartbreaker in what was its fifth consecutive trip to the state final.
A year later, those same two teams are set to clash once again when the Stingarees make their sixth consecutive trip to Lakeland and face Dr. Phillips at 12:30 p.m. on Friday at the RP Funding Center.
This time, the two perennial contenders will play in a Class 7A state semifinal. It will be the third meeting all-time at state between Miami High and Dr. Phillips with the latter having won the
previous two meetings.
And this time, Miami High is considered even more of an underdog as the Panthers enter the game with a 28-1 record and ranked No. 18 in the nation by MaxPreps.
The Stingarees (23-5) can be a frustrating matchup for opponents, however, with their stingy style of defense. Miami High has held opponents to 33 points or fewer in three regional playoff
games and has allowed teams to score 50 or more only five times this season. As a team, the Stingarees average 7.9 steals per game led by Alexie Sanchez (4.6 steals per game) and Sydney Wilson (3.3 steals per game).
Dr. Phillips is averaging 62.3 points per game and is led by 5-8 junior point guard Trinity Turner (20.1 points, 10.9 rebounds, 6.9 assists, 4.6 steals, 1.2 blocks per game).
Senior 5-11 forward Joelle Wilson is the focal point of Miami High’s offense, averaging 16.3 points and 9.8 rebounds per game.
HARDEST PATH
Cardinal Gibbons may have the hardest task to win a state title of any South Florida team this week.
The Chiefs (22-5), who will make their first appearance at the state final four since 2020, will face Jacksonville Bishop Kenny (26-1) at noon Thursday in a Class 4A semifinal. Bishop Kenny is ranked fourth overall in the FHSAA’s power rankings. Should the Chiefs pull off an upset in this one, their next foe might be Orlando
Lake Highland Prep, which is ranked second in the state overall.
Gibbons, which has come up short of a state title in six previous visits to Lakeland and has not advanced to the final since 1999, lost to Lake Highland Prep (23-6) in its most recent trip in 2020.
Senior forward Brooke Buckman leads the Chiefs, averaging 16.6 points and 12.2 rebounds per game. Senior Konstantina Mantziori is averaging 12 points and 7.9 assists per game.
They will be challenged by an aggressively defensive Bishop Kenny squad averaging 10.4 steals per game.
PHENOM MAKES DEBUT
Horeb Christian (18-4) makes its first appearance at the state final four and will take on Fort Myers Evangelical Christian on Wednesday at 4 p.m. in a Class 2A state semifinal.
Junior forward Emely Rodriguez has emerged as one of the state’s best players in her first season with the Mustangs, averaging 26.4 points, 15.5 rebounds, 5.5 steals, 4.9 assists and 2.3 blocks per game. Rodriguez, who has offers from USF and Mississippi State, led Horeb Christian to a dramatic 60-56 comeback win over two-time defending 2A state champion Miami Christian last week with 26 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and four steals.
SEEKING REPEATS
Plantation American
●
Heritage (22-7) is aiming to tie the state record for most consecutive state championships held by Miami Country Day. The Patriots will take on Clearwater at 2 p.m. on Thursday in a 5A semifinal. The winner will take on either Kissimmee Gateway or Daytona Beach Mainland in the 5A final on Saturday at 3. Freshman Jasleen
Green has been a pivotal part of American Heritage’s return to state.
Miami Country Day
●
(23-7) is in the state tournament for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons and vying for its eighth state title, which leads all Miami-Dade schools. The Spartans open the tournament against Jacksonville Providence at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The winner faces either Sarasota Cardinal Mooney or West Palm Beach King’s Academy in the Class 3A final at 10 a.m. on Saturday. After losing their best player, Kayla Nelms, to a seasonending hand injury, the Spartans rallied to beat defending state champion Westminster Academy in the regional finals last week.
St. Thomas Aquinas
●
(22-8) has won 10 in a row since losing to Dr. Phillips on Jan. 14 and is chasing its third consecutive state title. The Raiders will play Lakeland Lake Gibson at 6 p.m. on Thursday in a Class 6A state semifinal. The winner faces either Orange Park Oakleaf or Punta Gorda Charlotte in the final on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. Karina Gordon (15.4 points per game) and Nyla McFadden (12.0 points per game) lead Aquinas in scoring.