BA beats Nova to reach state semifinals
LAUDERDALE LAKES — Boyd Anderson’s boys basketball team is two wins away from its first state championship in 20 years.
Cobras players took turns climbing a riser under one basket with scissors and snipping a piece of nylon after a dominating 65- 42 home win against Nova in the Class 7A regional finals Saturday night.
“We’re humble. We’re not trash- talking. We’re just winning,” said forward Rodney Simeon.
The program’s seventh regional title and first in four years came courtesy of a big performance from Simeon, who poured in a game- high 25 points, a large advantage in rebounding and a stifling defense that repeatedly forced mistakes and turnovers by the Titans.
“We just wanted to go and play hard and see where we’d be at the end of the season, and as you can see, we have an opportunity to possibly play for a state championship,” said BA coach Eugene Richardson. “Our lastwas in 1994, so this would be a good time to get one.”
Said Simeon: “As long as we keep doing what we have to do as a team, we’ll win this.”
Dondre Duffus added 14 points and Diandre Wilson had nine for the Cobras ( 25- 5), who trailed 5- 0 to start the game, but seized control from there with a 19- 4, and then ballooned their lead with a 15- 0 spurt in the second.
The Titans ( 18- 7), making their first appearance in the regional finals after having captured their first district title since 1977, scored the opening basket of the second half to pull within 38- 28. But they couldn’t slice their deficit to single digits.
Roshane Walker, who Nova coach Alin Andre has called the most underrated player in Broward County, led the Titans with 13 points, including a contested 3- pointer in thewaning seconds of the first half. Isaiah Thomas scored nine and Marc Lawrence added seven.
“We pressured them a little and that set the tone and pushed the lead up,” Duffus said. “Hopefully it doesn’t stop here andwe take states. I’m blessed to be here right now, so I’ve got to make it count.”
Boyd Anderson heads to Lakeland hoping to replace two- time defending state champ Blanche Ely as the state’s 7A king after dethroning the Tigers in the regional semifinals — their fourth win against their rival this season.
The Cobras won their lone state title in 1994 in their third consecutive trip to the state semifinals.
SOUTH MIAMI 70,
MCARTHUR 60: Marquise Clark scored a gamehigh 32 points, including 18 free throws to lift South Miami over host McArthur in the regional final.
McArthur ( 21- 7) came up short in its bid to reach the state final four for the first time in school history. The Mustangs have reached the postseason nine times, however it was the farthest McArthur had gone since 1967 when the team lost to Archbishop Curley, 66- 63 in the 2A regional final and in 2003 it fell 88- 69 in the Class 5A regional semifinal.
“It was an excellent season for my boys, I couldn’t be more proud of them,” said McArthur coach Warren Gale.
“The entire team comes back next year and I think they have to go through this type of adversity to get where they want to be. I think we will be back here again next year and I think we will win it all.”