Dillard falls in girls basketball state semifinal

LAKELAND — Dillard’s attempt to reclaim its spot atop the girls basketball mountaintop was denied by Fort Myers on Friday afternoon.

The nine-time state champion Panthers fell to rising powerhouse Fort Myers 64-51 in the Class 7A state semifinals in Lakeland. The Green Wave have won back-to-back state titles and will go for a threepeat on Saturday versus Fort Walton Beach Choctawhatchee.

“Defensively, we just didn’t execute the way we would’ve liked to,” Dillard coach Marcia Pinder said. “We didn’t take away the penetration the way we practiced and the way we usually play.”

Dillard (24-5) guard Ayanna Emmanuel scored a team-high 16 points, while Genovea Johnson chipped in with 13 points

Led by McDonald’s AllAmerican Destanni Henderson – rated the No. 1 senior point guard in the country by ESPN – Fort Myers led for the majority of the contest. A South Carolina signee, Henderson finished with a game-high with 20 points. Bethany Brunsion (20 points) and Janay Outten (11 points) also hit double digits for the Green Wave.

Fort Myers improved to 13-15 on the season with the win. The Green Wave forfeited 11 wins earlier in the season due to an ineligible player.

The two squads battled in the first half, with the Green Wave leading by just one after the first quarter and four at halftime. The decisive stretch came at the beginning of the third quarter, when Fort Myers opened the frame on an 8-0 to push the lead to 12 points.

The Panthers cut the lead to 41-35 late in the third quarter, but that was as close as they came for the rest of the game. Fort Myers continued to push the tempo and led by double digits for the majority of the fourth quarter.

Although the Panthers lost on Friday, the future is bright for the team as Emmanuel is the only senior on the roster.

MICHAEL LAUGHLIN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Dillard’s Kayla Burrows tries to get around Fort Myers’ Destanni Henderson during the first half of Friday’s game.