TFA rallies to prevail
St. Cloud tried to play spoiler against The First Academy on opening day of the inaugural The City Beautiful boys basketball tournament Wednesday.
The Bulldogs (3-6) built a 22-14 lead early in the second quarter before TFA (5-5) rallied back to win 74-61. Alex Shields scored 29 points for the Royals.
TFA will play Kissimmee Liberty (7-2), a 44-41 winner vs. Orangewood Christian, in a quarterfinal tonight .
Boone (5-6) scored a deliberate 32-24 win over previously-unbeaten Tampa Berkeley PRep (7-1) to advance. The Braves will face Melbourne Holy Trinity (8-1) today.
Melbourne Central Catholic (8-1) got 33 points from Joel Rogers in a rout of Lake Brantley. Jacksonville Bishop Kenny is also 8-1 after a Wednesday win. many as 24 halftime.
“In the second half it looked like we could beat anyone in the country,” said Osceola (9-2) coach Nate Alexander. “In the first half it looked like we couldn’t beat anyone in the country.”
Wednesday’s games drew standing-room-only crowd for a doubleheader at the Villages Charter School. points before
Maybe it was that red, white and blue ball used for the Rock Holiday Classic games — a sight rarely seen since the ABA days. But Massillon Jackson, Ohio’s defending large-class state champ, struggled to score early vs. Windermere High in the Rock Holiday Classic at Windermere Prep.
That changed when the Polar Bears’ junior sharpshooter, Anthony Mazzeo, heated up. He hit five 3-point shots in the second period as Jackson took control on the way to a 67-50 win vs. a Wolverines team that has fared well in its debut season.
Mazzeo finished with 21 points, all on 3-pointers, for Jackson (6-1).
Dakota Rivers, a 6-7 junior, was a force after halftime as Windermere (5-4) surged back to within 41-35 before the Polar Bears put the win on ice. Rivers had 18 points and nine rebounds for the game.
“They’re a lot bigger and stronger than us, and I thought that showed,” said Wolverines coach Mark Griseck. “They just wore us down.”
It was a big day for Ohio teams, with all three winning. Walnut Hills (6-1) knocked host Windermere Prep (4-6) out of title contention, scoring a 62-60 victory despite 26 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists by Lakers senior Rahsaan Lewis.
Edgewater (9-1) suffered its first loss of the season, 49-45 vs. New York City power Brooklyn Lincoln, at the Hoodies House Hoops Classic in Charlotte, N.C.
Apopka led Our Lady of Mt. Carmel of Maryland by 11 at the half and by 12 late in the third quarter but let one get away in a 50-48 loss in the 16-team Kingdom of the Sun tournament at Ocala Vanguard.
Host Seminole (9-1) will play age-old rival DeLand (8-3) in a Seminole Holiday Classic semifinal today. Lake Highland Prep (7-3) faces Dunnellon (7-3) in the other semi.
Bishop Moore’s undefeated girls team and 7-2 boys squad both advanced in the Hornets’ Jim Clark Classic.