Lake Highland Prep falls in final
LAKELAND — Inexperience caught up with Lake Highland Prep against a sharp-shooting opponent Thursday in the Class 5A girls basketball state championship game.
The Highlanders (24-7) fell into a 13-0 hole in the opening minutes against West Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy (28-5) and never recovered in a 55-39 loss at the RP Funding Center.
“I guess I could say [inexperience] played a big part, but I also don’t want to take credit away from them,” Lake Highland coach Al Honor said. “I know what they went through last year, and I knew they would come out swinging.”
Oxbridge blew a 16-point lead against eventual champion Jones in last year’s state semifinals.
The ThunderWolves shot 52 percent from the field in the first half on Thursday and led by 24 points in the third quarter before LHP senior Jiselle Havas scored to kick start a rally with just under four minutes to go in the period.
Eighth-grader Sierra Godbolt scored on a runner in the lane two minutes later, then stole the ball and fed it to seventh-grader Eleecia Carter for a layup. Sophomore Zanoria Cruz got the Highlanders to within 44-33 on a pair of free throws to start the fourth. But Oxbridge scored the next eight points to close any chance at a comeback.
Cruz led LHP with 15 points. Havas tallied 12 points, six rebounds and five steals.
Lake Highland started a senior, sophomore, freshman and two middleschoolers in the final.
It will be a matchup of differing styles when Oak Ride and Port Orange Spruce Creek tip off at 6 tonight in a 9A semifinal.
Oak Ridge (18-12) and Spruce Creek (25-5), both in the final four for the first time, meet at 6 p.m.
Daytona Beach Father Lopez (27-3) gets the day started, facing Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee (20-3) in a 7A semifinal at 10.
Spruce Creek, fueled by guard play, has connected on 249 3-point shots.
Oak Ridge has three girls who have towered over the competition: Anijah Grant, a 6-foot-2 junior with 21 double-doubles; Jasmine Quarterman, a 5-11 junior; and Caleigh-Rose West, a 5-11 sophomore.