Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Ely begins title defense as district champs
FORT LAUDERDALE — Melvin Randall will tell you he doesn’t count district titles. Leading Blanche Ely all the way for four of the last five years, he has enough to keep track of with all the Tigers’ state titles.
Besides, last season Ely accomplished that greater goal, swooping through Florida’s Class 7A bracket, as a district runner-up.
But as he looks to get the Tigers their first three-peat and seventh state title overall — sixth under his watch — with the state tournament on the horizon, Blanche Ely handled host Fort Lauderdale 76-54 in the District 14-8A final on Friday night.
“The ultimate goal is to get to Lakeland. Districts means a lot, but every game means a lot,” Randall said.
His senior leader appears even more steadfast on the importance of the next five games over Friday’s victory.
“It really doesn’t do anything,” said senior Geremy Taylor, who has been on the last two teams to win at state. “We’re glad to have it, but our main thing is trying to win states.”
Taylor finished Friday with 16 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
The Tigers (24-6), ranked 8A’s No. 1 in the latest FABC-Source Hoops state poll, will host the District 13-8A runner-up in regional quarterfinal play Thursday night. That district will be settled Saturday and features No. 2 Palm Beach Lakes and sixth-ranked Dwyer.
There are other benefits for Ely to reap besides the home-court advantage.
“It boosts our confidence, makes us want to play harder to get a state championship,” said point guard Michael Forrest, holding the district trophy following a 16-point, four-assist night.
Joshua Gammage led the Tigers with 18 points and added five rebounds.
Fort Lauderdale (9-18), which was led on Friday by 26 points from Towson signee Jeffrey Prophete, will visit the District 13-8A champ to open regionals.
CALVARY CHRISTIAN 54, PINE CREST 50: Top-seed Calvary Christian was pushed to two overtimes but hung on to beat No. 4-seed Pine Crest in the District 14-5A semifinals at Calvary.
The Eagles (18-5) will play No. 2 University School (18-6) for the district title on Saturday night. The Sharks overwhelmed Cardinal Gibbons 78-56 behind 27 points from sophomore Vernon Carey Jr. and 20 from junior Jeremiah Saunders in the early semifinal.
“They battled with everybody in the conference,” Calvary coach Cilk McSweeney said of Pine Crest. “We had our way with them, but that was the first game of the season. We knew they were going to come and fight.”
Tied 13-13 after one quarter, Pine Crest opened up a double-digit lead in the second and had a 27-16 advantage at the break.
Calvary, however, came out of halftime a different team. The Eagles went on a 17-5 run in the third quarter and regained the lead on a 3-pointer from senior Rasheem Etienne with 1:52 left in the third.
After the teams were tied at the end of regulation 42-42 and 46-46 after the first overtime, Etienne gave Calvary its first lead of more than two points late with two free throws with 44 seconds left in OT No. 2 to make it 52-48.
Etienne would later find himself all alone for a breakaway layup to put Calvary up 54-49 and this time Pine Crest was not able to draw back even.
Etienne finished with 12 points — with nine after halftime. Junior power forward Solomon Uyaelunmo led Calvary with 13 points, Kahleel Gray also had 12 and Butler signee Jerald Butler had 10.
Brett Haeffner led Pine Crest with 13 points and Scotty Pippen Jr. had 12. Pippen, too, was huge. He blocked a shot at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime and then hit the equalizer at 46-all with four seconds to go in the first overtime.