Pioneers put up 90 to beat Winter Park in final
Sophomore Elliott led four in double figures for prolific Oak Ridge squad
Oak Ridge completed a dominating run through the inaugural Metro Conference East Division boys basketball tournament with a 90-60 romp past Winter Park on Monday afternoon.
Sophomore guard Elijah Elliott led the way with 25 points to complete a threegame sweep that saw a different young prospect spark the state-ranked Pioneers (13-5) in each of their tournament wins. In the MLK Day championship game hosted by Lake Nona High, four Oak Ridge starters were in double figures with senior guard Fabio Basili, sophomore forward Tyler Johnson and senior forward Lewis Jones scoring 21, 19 and 10 points, respectively.
“We’re talented, we’re deep and we shot the ball well tonight,” Pioneers coach Steve Reece said after his team’s fourth win with 90 or more points. “I thought we did well with the tempo, the pressure and our boys played well together. Winter Park is a really good team and I thought we executed against them pretty well.”
Oak Ridge, No. 7 in the FHSAA Class 7A power rankings, blitzed Freedom 104-71 in Friday’s quarterfinal round with Johnson, a 6-foot-5 junior, pouring in 34 points. The Pioneers routed University 76-34 in a Saturday semifinal with Reece’s son, ninth-grade guard Jalen Reece, delivering 19 points and 8 assists.
Oak Ridge entered the event as the clear favorite but didn’t appear to take winning for granted while gathered around the championship trophy following the final.
“It means a lot,” Reece said. “You know, we’re a young group and to win the Metro East means a lot to our school, to the program and to the kids.”
Oak Ridge broke the game open by outscoring the Wildcats 23-8 in the second quarter to take a 21-point halftime lead.
Senior Josiah Dancy scored 16 points to lead Winter Park, which had won eight of its previous nine games.
Winter Park committed 23 fouls and junior forward Zion Gunn fouled out in the second half. A Wildcats assistant coach received a technical foul after arguing with an official.
Oak Ridge is scheduled to play at Winter Park are in a rematch on Wednesday night.