Windermere holds Jizzle James in check, upsets Olympia in region semi

Cole White solved Olympia’s defense for 22 points and 9 rebounds Tuesday, and Windermere rolled past the top seed 66-51 in a Class 7A Region 2 boys basketball semifinal.

The loss ended a banner 26-2 season for the Titans, who spent time atop the FHSAA state power rankings and were No. 3 in 7A entering region play.

Chalier Torres added 15 points for the Wolverines (21-8), who are No. 7 in 7A. They earned revenge for a 70-67 loss at Olympia on Jan. 27.

Their reward? Another chance at revenge against No. 5 Oak Ridge on Friday with a Final Four berth on the line after the Pioneers ousted No. 4 Lake Worth 79-64 on the road.

Oak Ridge beat Windermere 62-56 in a December game and 70-55 in a district tournament semifinal.

The Wolverines held Olympia senior star E.J. “Jizzle” James to 16 points, 7 below his average. James had just 5 second-half points and Cam Miles was held scoreless after putting up 12 in the first half.

“One person cannot stop James,” Windermere coach Mark Griseck said. “It took a team effort, and we talked about a strategy. The guys did a really good job. He is a really good player.”

The teams hammered each other but Windermere dealt the final blow, turning a 48-45 lead into a 12-point margin with a 10-1 run in the fourth quarter. White had 6 of those points.

Windermere’s Isaiah Dorceus had 10 points, 5 assists and 2 steals. Several of those assists came after Ta’Veon Jones escaped Olympia’s traps and moved the ball.

“We had a hard time containing those guys tonight,” Olympia coach Rob Gordon said. “The first time we played them, we did a good job containing them. I like to think we are a strong, defensive-oriented team, but they really exposed us defensively tonight. Those guys are good. There’s not a quicker guy in Central Florida, maybe in the state, than their little guard [Jones].”

Griseck said his big men held their own against Olympia’s tall tandem of Kevins Charles and Jackson Outlaw.

Olympia jumped out to a 12-2 lead but that was down to 19-15 by the end of the first quarter. Windermere went on an 18-4 run to start the second period, building a 10-point lead.

Miles then hit two 3-pointers and James went 5-for-5 from the free throw line in the final 1:31 to put the Titans up 34-33 at halftime. Olympia made 13 of 13 free throws in the first half.

The rivals traded the lead in the third with Windermere ahead 46-43 heading into the final quarter. White made two buckets to ignite the clinching run.

When James fouled out with 50.8 seconds to go, Olympia fans thanked the Cincinnati signee with cheers.

Gordon spoke highly of his seniors. James, Charles and Outlaw played as freshmen, and Miles, Chaunce Harris and David Dupuis also played roles in a class that went 84-28.

“The accomplishments of the senior class is unparalleled in our program’s history,” he said. “We’ve never ever won two district championships. We never won one district championship before this group came through. We’ve never been to three straight Sweet 16s.”

Olympia went 24-2 in 2007-08 and 28-5 with a region championship and state runner-up finish in 2008-09 with Griseck as its head coach. But last season’s Titans were the first to win a district title and this year’s squad was the second.