Wolverines survive Gators’ closing flurry
Jones’ 19 points help Wellington clinch No. 1 seed in district.
PALM BEACH GARDENS — After building a double-digit lead, Wellington was saved by the buzzer.
Trailing by 16 points with less than a minute left, sixthranked Palm Beach Gardens (15-7) went on a 12-0 run to finish the game but fell short in a 53-47 loss against No. 4 Wellington (17-3) in Palm Beach Gardens on Thursday night.
The Wolverines clinched the No. 1 seed in the District 9-9A tournament with a little more than a week left in the regular season.
“As we get some of that stuff cleaned up, we’ll be much better,” Wellington c o a c h R a n d y S o t o s a i d . “Every time we play Gardens, it’s tough. We expected a tough game, so if we can walk away with it, we’ll take it.”
G a r d e n s j u n i o r H a l l e Patrick led the comeback attempt, making two 3-pointers and finishing the game with nine points, and the Gators’ defense forced several turnovers while pressing the Wolverines.
“They force turnovers, they do an unbelievable job,” Soto said. “(Gardens coach Charlie Reppel) does a great job with them on defense. No lead is safe when you’re playing them.”
Fortunately for Wellington, the Wolverines offense got out to a big enough lead to provide a cushion and prevent the Gators from stealing the game back.
Junior Sydney Jones led the way for Wellington, scoring 19 points. Jones, who transferred from Palm Beach Central before the season, is the Wolverines’ leading scorer. She entered Thursday averaging 19.2 points per game.
“I think it’s her competitiveness, that’s what really stands out the most,” Soto said. “And then, obviously, she’s very skilled. She’s our motor.”
Wellington still has Atlantic, Pahokee and Lake Worth — none of whom are pushovers — on the schedule before the district tournament begins. Soto said he expects to see either Gardens or Palm Beach Central for the third time should his team make the finals of that tournament.
He and Jones both know they have room to grow in that time.
“Right now, it’s just execution,” Soto said. “We have to do a better job of executing and being consistent every night.”