Country Day, Doral among six girls’ teams to advance to state
This season didn’t start like a typical one for the Miami Country Day girls’ basketball team.
The Spartans lost their first three games and started 2-4 — albeit against a tough schedule — with the last of those losses coming against North Lauderdale Somerset Prep.
But this is playoff time. And that’s when Miami Country Day has excelled for more than a decade.
The Spartans didn’t disappoint Thursday night in a rematch with Somerset Prep as they navigated through a gritty, low-scoring contest to beat the Hurricanes 52-37 in the Region 4-3A final at Miami Country Day.
“Timing was the biggest thing the first time we played them,” Miami Country Day coach Ochiel Swaby said. “We had just come from Jacksonville and lost three games against national teams. We had no confidence and we were trying to figure out our lineup. We found our rotation and our main kids are playing well and everything since has been going well for us.”
Next for the Spartans (20-8) comes a chance to add to their storied legacy as they chase their ninth state championship starting next week in Lakeland.
Miami Country Day, the top seed in Class 3A, will take on Jacksonville Providence on Wednesday in a state semifinal at the RP Funding Center.
The Spartans, who already have the most state titles all-time of any MiamiDade County girls’ basketball program, are looking to go back-to-back and start a new title streak.
Country Day never trailed and the game was tied only once in the first two minutes although the Hurricanes (20-8), who were seeking their first trip to state since winning backto-back titles in 2018 and 2019, kept themselves in the game in the second half.
Senior and Baylor signee Kayla Nelms paced Country Day with 20 points and 23 rebounds and dominated inside. Nelms’ play in the paint freed up Spartans’ shooters to make five 3-pointers. Kaliyah Morales finished with 12 points and three assists while Sofia Mendez added nine points and three rebounds. Jalynn Belton had six points and five assists and Kori Edge had five points and three assists.
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Region 4-7A final — Doral Academy 72, Boca Raton 50:
Almost as if they were in lockstep with each other, from their days together at Somerset Silver Palms, Ashley Martinez and Victoria Valle were built for the big moment.
And Thursday night, the moment was about as big as it gets as the two Doral Academy guards and resident sharp-shooters showed off their wares in a big way.
Valle seared the net with five three pointers in the first half and almost as if they were running a track relay together, handed the baton off to Martinez, who buried five threes of her own in the second half.
That formula proved to be lethal to their opponent as the Doral Academy’s girls’ basketball team broke down the doors of history, cruising to an easier-thanexpected victory.
Playing in only their second regional final and having suffered a painful overtime loss to Oakland
Park Northeast back in 2017, the win advanced the Firebirds to the state final four in Lakeland for the first time in program history.
Doral (23-7) will enter as the No. 4 seed and take on No. 1 seed Orlando Colonial in a 7A state semifinal on March 8 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
“They’ve been competitive throughout their basketball careers and never shy away from the big moment,” said first-year Doral head coach Allison Bustamante of Martinez and Valle. “Real hoopers here that shine in these type of moments and we got to watch that tonight. One had it early and passed it on to the other and it got us a regional championship.”
Valle did all her damage in the first half, scoring 19 of her game-high 22 points before halftime, five of those shots, of course, the three-pointers. Her hot hand practically ended the issue for the Firebirds as they pulled away from a
9-8 lead to go on a remarkable 22-0 run.
Region 4-4A final — SLAM 84, Somerset Canyons 55:
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— BILL DALEY
When the final buzzer sounded, the scene at SLAM High School erupted.
Students rushed the court, players embraced, tears were shed and no one could hear a thing.
That’s what happens when, after three years of losing in regionals, you finally break through. Now, top-seeded SLAM is headed to the state semifinals for the first time since
2019. The Titans (23-3) will face Jacksonville Bishop Kenny on Thursday in Lakeland.
“Our girls just came different this year,” SLAM coach Krystal Cabrera said. “We were more seasoned, we were more experienced, we were more mature.
They just were present and took over the moment, and it was just breathtaking to see it all come together. People make dreams and you never know if it’s going to come to life. Watching it come to life was surreal.”
The Titans won thanks to a total team effort, with three starters scoring in double figures. Junior Jim’miyah Branton, who had 21 points in the regional semifinals against Monsignor Pace, scored a gamehigh 27 points. Guard Samantha Bautista had 19 points, and senior Samantha Vales netted 16.
— CHRIS DAMOND
Region 4-6A final — St. Thomas Aquinas 55, Blanche Ely 47:
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St. Thomas Aquinas senior guard Khadee Hession had perhaps the biggest basketball game of her career when it mattered the most.
She scored a game-high 29 points, including the clinching points on four free throws in the waning seconds to lift the Raiders to victory on Thursday.
The Raiders (21-9) will be the top seed and travel to the RP Funding Center in Lakeland for a Class 6A state semifinal game on March 7 where they will face No. 4 seed Wekiva. Aquinas is seeking to win its fourth consecutive state championship, which would match Dillard and South Broward, the only two Broward County Athletic Association schools to accomplish the feat.
Aquinas built a 37-27 lead by the end of the third, but Blanche Ely would close the deficit to 49-47 with just under a minute to play. The Tigers rally, in part, came from Chardae Rumph and Janessa Kelley as they each connected on a pair of 3-pointers.
Senior forward Gianna Corbitt led Ely in the first half with 14 points, but Aquinas’ defense would hold her to only two second half points.
Sophomore guard Teriyah McFadden added 11 points for the Tigers, who defeated Aquinas twice during the regular season, including a 56-24 win in the BCAA Big 8 championship game in January.
— DAVE BROUSSEAU
Region 4-2A final — Miami Christian 67,
West Palm Beach Berean Christian 45:
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Miami Christian’s defense was a stubborn current, denying penetration and forcing more than 20 turnovers on Thursday night.
With the win, the Victors clinched a trip to the state tournament for the third time in four years. They won titles in their two previous visits.
“It was very emotional,” said Isabella Aversa, who scored 16 points for the Victors. “I’ve been in the gym all week trying to get extra shots. I had a lot of expectations and want to play for the state championship as a sophomore.”
Jazlyn Laguna and Maria De Gracia scored 11 points apiece for the Victors (1413), who will be the No. 4 seed and play a Class 2A state semifinal against top-seeded Ocoee Central Florida Christian Academy on Tuesday at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland at a time to be announced.
The Victors allowed a 3-pointer for the first points of the game, but responded with an 11-0 run and never looked back. They outscored the Bulldogs 20-4 in the second quarter and pushed their lead to as many as 26 points in the blowout.
Jaylyn Laguna chipped in nine points in the win. Bianca Galagarza scored eight for the Victors.
Region 4-5A final — Plantation American Heritage 75, Lincoln Park Academy 40:
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The Patriots stormed out to a 26-4 first-quarter lead and never let up. Heritage will try to win its sixth state title in the past seven seasons next. The Patriots will take on Port Charlotte on March 6 at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland in a Class 5A state semifinal.