Shooting woes doom Timber Creek

Timber Creek fell into a shooting slump early and never recovered in a Class 7A girls basketball state semifinal game Friday afternoon at RP Funding Center in Lakeland.

The Wolves (23-8) shot just 35% from the field and turned the ball over 18 times during a 57-44 loss to Miami High (26-5).

Zora Fray Chinn drained a 3-point shot and scored again to get Timber Creek within six points at 38-32 with 6 minutes, 26 seconds to play. But the Stingarees pulled away for good by scoring the next 10 points over a two-minute span.

Chinn scored from the paint with nearly two minutes to play to make it a 48-38 game following free throws by Savannah Henderson

and Jourdan Avery during a last-gasp effort for the Wolves.

Avery finished with a teamhigh 14 points in the loss. Chinn tallied 12 points and six rebounds on 5-of-10 shooting.

Timber Creek, making its first trip to the final four, opened the game in a 7-0 hole before Tatiana Ortiz drained a bucket more than four minutes into the first quarter.

Miami went on to open a double-digit lead at 14-4 on a 3-point shot by Kiara Cruz, who led all scorers with 15 points. The Stingarees maintained that advantage throughout much of the second quarter before going into halftime in front 32-19.

The Wolves responded by starting the second half on an 8-2 run to get within 34-27 as Henderson made free throws and Chinn, Avery and Colleen Shanahan each scored from the field.

Miami, large-class state runnerup each of the past two years to Wekiva and Port Orange Spruce Creek, plays Tampa Plant in the championship game Saturday at 8 p.m. Three state final games Saturday feature teams from the Orlando area.

The Master’s Academy (26-5) plays Tampa Carrollwood Day (26-2) in Class 3A at 10 a.m. Lake Highland Prep (28-2) faces Jacksonville Bishop Kenny (22-9) in 4A at 12:30 p.m.

Wekiva (24-7) will attempt to wrap up its second consecutive state championship against Pompano Beach Blanche Ely (27-6) in 6A at 5:30 p.m.