Flying L’s win classic opener

MIAMI — After a twoweek holiday layoff, Fort Lauderdale coach Nikki Gaines was worried her team would be rusty in its SUTS Report New Year’s Classic opener on Friday.

With her Big 3 was welloiled as senior guards Keyanna Warthen, TaMiracle Taylor and Melanie De Oleo dominated in the Flying L’s 66-31 win over the tough Miami Central Rockets at Miami High.

“It’s a good tune-up for us,” Gaines said of the team’s first of three SUTS games this weekend. “We’ve got a veteran group leading us, so it should be fun going forward. We should hit our stride.”

Taylor and De Oleo each had a game-high 23 points with De Oleo connecting on seven 3-pointers and Taylor adding seven steals and three assists. Warthen, an Indiana signee and the reigning Broward Player of the Year, had 18 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and six steals.

“It’s impossible [to stop],” Taylor said. “It’s tough to guard three players at once.”

Taylor scored all her points in the first three quarters and provided the spark early with nine firstquarter points. She had 17 by halftime, when Fort Lauderdale led 33-20.

The Flying L’s (12-2) took control with a 9-1 run in the second quarter and then went on a 16-4 run in the third. During the stretch De Oleo, Fort Lauderdale’s alltime leading 3-point shooter, connected on three straight treys.

Behind its three fouryear starters, Fort Lauderdale is looking to build off last season’s regional final appearance. The Flying L’s face a tough stretch of six games in eight days with tournament host Miami High and IMG Academy at Archbishop McCarthy on Sunday still on tap.

Miami Central fell to 11-3 in defeat.