Titans’ quest for 1st state title falls short

LAKELAND — A 30-win team, Nova only lost two games all season.

The first came in January at the hands of nationally ranked Winter Haven at the MVP Sports MLK Classic. Two months later, the Titans had their chance for revenge against the Blue Devils in the Class 8A girls basketball state championship.

Once again, Winter Haven got the better of Nova. On Saturday afternoon, the Titans bid for their first state title came up short as they fell to the Blue Devils, 56-45. Nova has also finished as state runners-up in 2009 and 2013.

Nova started off strong against Winter Haven, taking an 11-8 lead at the end of the first quarter thanks to seven quick points from Gabrielle Gonzalez. The game swung to the Blue Devils in the waning moments of the opening frame when Erin Gutierrez picked up her second foul with 6.7 seconds left, sending her to the bench.

With their Tulane signee out, the Titans (30-2) struggled to move the ball against the Blue Devils’ full-court press, turning the ball over five consecutive times in the first two minutes of the quarter. Gutierrez quickly checked back in with 6:18 left, but Nova had fallen out of rhythm offensively.

“We just didn’t handle the pressure,” Nova coach Jason Hively said. “Once they put the press and got that five-six point lead, we never recovered. We talked about how important it was to stay out of foul trouble. It’s hard to beat a team like that with one of your best players on the bench with two fouls.

The Blue Devils outscored the Titans, 15-5, in the frame to take an eight-point lead into the locker room. Nova cut the deficit to five early in the third quarter, but Winter Haven pushed the advantage back to 11 to end the frame.

With the victory, Winter Haven (32-1) has now won three consecutive state titles. Zakiyah’s Franklin scored a game-high 20 points, while Diamond Battles added 17 points.

For Nova, Gabrielle Gonzalez led the way with a team-high 17 points. Gutierrez, the team’s leading scorer all season, struggled on the afternoon, finishing with six points on 2-of-15 shooting from the field.

While the Titans came up short Saturday, the past season was an incredibly strong year for the program. The 30-win Titans won their district, the Big 8 title and finished undefeated against Broward County opponents.

MICHAEL LAUGHLIN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Nova’s Gabrielle Gonzalez scores on a layup against several Winter Haven defenders in the second half of the Class 8A girls basketball state championship on Saturday. She finished the game with a team-high 17 points.