Miramar rallies by Oak Ridge

LAKELAND — Miramar did not have an optimal start to its Class 7A state semifinal.

Orlando Oak Ridge got out to an early lead, and nothing was falling for the Patriots. Miramar missed its first eight shots and didn’t score for nearly four minutes.

“They say the first game is always the toughest one,” Miramar coach Tramaine Stevens said. “And I think, when we started out, we were pressing a little bit.”

Once the Pats got going, they would not be denied. Miramar rallied past Oak Ridge 59-55 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Friday, advancing to the program’s first state title game.

“This is my second time being here, and the road to states is tough,” Stevens said. “The season is long. Everything just has to go right. The players have to stay healthy. The kids have to really buy in, and it’s a lot of things that surround you that can affect the game. But when your guys lock in and trust the process and believe in what you’re doing, anything is possible.”

After the Patriots recovered from their early struggles, the defense stepped up. In the second quarter, they kept the Pioneers from getting a shot off for almost three and a half minutes. Oak Ridge came back and kept up with Miramar in the fourth, forcing overtime after the Patriots couldn’t missed at the buzzer.

The Pioneers suffered a big blow as the fourth quarter ended as leading scorer Michael James — a four-star prospect — suffered an injury on the final play of regulation. He missed all of overtime.

“Mike James going down at the end hurt us big,” Oak Ridge coach Steven Reece said.

The Patriots capitalized on Pioneers fouls in overtime, knocking down nine free throws in overtime.

“We practice free throws every day, so when we go to the free-throw line, (we’re comfortable),” senior Brent Davis said.