Oxbridge girls storm past Boca Raton

WEST PALM BEACH — In a showdown between two of the top girls basketball programs in Palm Beach County, Oxbridge Academy showed it’s a force to be reckoned with, racing past defending state champion Boca Raton, 57-35.

The ThunderWolves never trailed the entire contest, controlling the tempo from the opening whistle. Junior guard Alexa Zaph, an FAU commit, was lights-out from long-range, connecting on five 3-pointers for a game-high 17 points.

“There’s been a lot of smack talk on Twitter,” said Zaph of the rivalry between the teams. “But you know what, we’re No. 1 and that’s all that matters.

“Our hard work is paying off, and we’re really coming together as a team.”

Boca Raton (15-6) cut the ThunderWolves’ lead to five late in the third quarter, but that was as close as it would get. Oxbridge (20-5) scored five unanswered points to push the lead back to 41-31 at the end of the quarter and never looked back. The ThunderWolves ended the game on a 21-4 run to pick up their eighth straight victory.

Kaylon Smith scored 13 points, while Aaliyah Stanley, Haley Howarth and Taylor Race each scored eight points. For Boca Raton, Antonia Alexe scored a team-high 12 points.

In the third quarter, Stanley hit the 1,000-point career scoring mark on a made free throw, setting off a loud ovation from the crowd. The game was momentarily paused as Stanley and coach Tracey Wolfe posed for a picture to commemorate the achievement. “It was nice,” Stanley said. “It’s a big accomplishment, most girls don’t get the chance to see 1,000 points, but I did. [When I heard the crowd erupt] it was like music to my ears. It just pushed me to ram it down their throat and never let up.”

The ThunderWolves, who reached the Class 5A state semifinals last year, will close out the season against Fort Myers on Feb. 3 before beginning their playoff push.

wdusenbury@sun-sentinel .com, Twitter @dusereport