Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
A title on their minds
Five Broward and Palm Beach county girls basketball teams are making the trek to Lakeland this week to play in the state final four.
One team, American Heritage, is looking to win its third straight state title. Another, Cardinal Gibbons, is aiming for its first championship in program history.
Here is a look at all five local teams that hope to come back from Lakeland with a trophy.
Palm Beach Lakes (21-8)
The Rams earned their trip to the state semifinals with a two-point win over Boca Raton. Lakes coach Cassandra Rahming has one championship already, having taken the Rams to the 2015 Class 7A title. This year’s team is balanced and talented. Guard Keishmy Ayuso, a Fab Five pick this year, leads the team in at about 17 points per game while also averaging 5.4 rebounds per game. Senior Sh’Naya Anderson is averaging 15.2 points and 9.2 rebounds. Senior Mia Jones and junior Zaida Gonzalez are also averaging double-digit points. Lakes, which is ranked 22nd in the state by MaxPreps, plays Tampa Plant in the Class 7A state semifinals on Friday at 12:30 p.m. Plant is 29-1 this season and is ranked No. 11 in the state. The Panthers have beaten their three playoff opponents by an average score of 66-26.
Blanche Ely (26-6)
After Ely beat Dillard in the regional finals, Tigers junior Ja’Leah Williams noted something about the two years pained on the wall of the Ely gym to commemorate the Tigers’ two girls basketball state titles: neither
Five local teams to play in state final four tourneys year was in this century. The last time Ely won a girls basketball title was 1992. But under first-year Tigers coach J.R. McNabb, Ely might get a chance to add a new year to the wall. Williams, a Fab Five selection and two-time All-County first-team pick, leads the team in points per game (18) and assists per game (8) while also averaging seven rebounds and five steals per game. Williams is joined by sophomore guard Michiyah Simmons, who is averaging 15 points and won two titles at Somerset Prep, and senior guard JaNiyah Moore, who is averaging 14 points. The Tigers, who are ranked fifth in the state, will face Winter Haven in the Class 6A semifinals at 8 p.m. on Thursday. The Blue Devils have won five state titles, including beating Nova in the 2018 Class 8A title game. Winter Haven is 22-8 and is ranked 27th in Florida.
American Heritage (23-4)
The Patriots are not a historic girls basketball powerhouse, but they can make their mark this week by winning their third consecutive state championship. A title would make Heritage the third Broward County team to win three consecutive girls basketball titles ( joining Dillard and South Broward). The Patriots would be the 14th team in state history to win three titles in a row. Ranked fourth in the state, American Heritage features a pair of twins at forward, Taliyah and Tatyana Wyche, who are both averaging double-doubles with double-digit points and rebounds. Junior guard Daniella Aronsky is also averaging a double-double: 12.1 points and 10 assists per game. The Patriots face Bradenton Southeast in the Class 5A semifinals at 2 p.m. on Thursday. Southeast is 20-8 this season and is ranked 59th in the state.
Cardinal Gibbons (25-3)
The Chiefs have made it to Lakeland several times in recent history, earning trips to the state semis in 2016, 2017 and 2018. They lost in that round each year, just like Cardinal Gibbons did in 2000. The Chiefs made it to the state title game in 1996, losing by one point in overtime, and in 1999. But Gibbons has still never won a state title. This year’s Chiefs team could be the one to do it. Gibbons has a balanced offense, with senior Jennifer Whitlow and juniors Sharale McCormick and Emily Jimenez all averaging double-digit points. The Chiefs will face Orlando Lake Highland Prep at 10 a.m. on Thursday. The Highlanders are 27-2 and are the top-ranked team in the state. MaxPreps ranks them ninth in the nation.
Grandview Prep (18-9)
The Pride are also no strangers to the RP Funding Center. Grandview Prep has made it to the state semifinals each year from 2012 to 2018, winning titles in 2014 and 2017. The Pride missed out on a trip to Lakeland in 2019, but they’re back this year. Senior guard Danielle Montelbano leads the team with 17.1 points per game and five assists per game. Senior forward Ciadorah Angervil is also a key player, averaging 10.6 points and 10.3 rebounds. Grandview Prep will face Melbourne Florida Prep in the Class 2A state semifinals at 10 a.m. on Wednesday. The Falcons are 22-7 this season and are ranked sixth in Florida.