Horeb Christian’s dream run ends
LAKELAND
The final buzzer sounded on Horeb Christian’s history-making season, and Emely Rodriguez found one of the Mustangs’ few seniors for one last moment. She embraced Aliana Davila and didn’t let go, slumping around her captain’s shoulders while Orlando Faith Christian celebrated its 53-37 win on the other end of the RP Funding Center.
Horeb Christian spent the whole year hitting new heights — a first district title, a first region championship and a first trip to the final four, all just two years after restarting its girls’ basketball program — and the Mustangs had a state title within their reach, only to come up short in the
Class 2A championship.
“Today just wasn’t our night,” coach Agustin Pelaez said, “but ... I promise you we’re going to get back to the drawing board.”
A year ago, it would have been unthinkable for Horeb Christian to even make it to Lakeland. Its girls’ basketball program — at least, its revival — was in its infancy after it shut down for about a decade and returned in 2020 to play two years as an independent, and not a particularly good one.
Rodriguez, perhaps the best player in all of MiamiDade County, was still living at home in the Dominican Republic, trying to figure out how to best chase her hoop dreams. The Mustangs, in 40 years since Horeb Christian opened in 1982, had gotten past the district tournament only four times and advanced in the region playoffs only once.
In one offseason, everything changed. The Mustangs hired Pelaez away from Mater Lakes Academy, rejoined a district and found an unlikely star when Rodriguez moved to Florida. Almost overnight, Horeb Christian went from anonymity to contention.
At the worst moment, it all unraveled in the 2A title game. Rodriguez scored 19 points, but needed 26 shots to get there. The Mustangs (19-5) went 0 of 15 from three-point range. Horeb Christian’s 37 points were its fewest of the year.
Two days earlier, Rodriguez scored 24 points on 9-of-17 shooting, the Mustangs hit seven threepointers and Horeb Christian scored 66 points to beat Fort Myers Evangelical Christian in the 2A semifinals Wednesday.
“It was a tough loss,” said Rodriguez, who still had 14 rebounds, five blocks and four steals despite her shooting struggles.
It was made tougher because there was no one moment the Mustangs seemed overwhelmed, despite the lopsided final score. Faith Christian (16-11) didn’t outscore Horeb Christian by more than five points in any of the four quarters. The Mustangs won the rebound battle, had fewer turnovers and more assists, and held the Lions to 34 percent shooting from the field.
The problem was Horeb Christian shot just 19.6 percent and the Mustangs’ three-point failings let Faith Christian build a wall around the rim and swarm the paint without any worry Rodriguez’s kick-out passes would turn into three points. Horeb Christian finished with just four assists, and Rodriguez and fellow wing Keysi Aybar combined for 30 of the Mustangs’ 37 points, and 30 of their 43 rebounds.
“They do a good job with their length on closing out,” Pelaez said. “That might’ve made some shots a little more difficult.”
The Lions also brought with them the benefit of experience. Faith Christian lost in the 2A title game last season and didn’t miss on its second chance.
Pelaez and the Mustangs want to follow the same blueprint, and get back to George Jenkins Arena next year.