After forming tight bond this season, Doral girls’ basketball nearly pulls off shocker
They were, essentially, strangers.
In October, when the Doral Academy girls’ basketball team started practicing for the 2023-2024 season, coach Allison Bustamante was new to the team. In addition, most of her players were new to the squad, including four of the five starters who arrived as transfers.
Five months later — Friday morning, to be exact — that group of strangers had bonded together as tightly as cement on pavement.
The Firebirds, playing in the Class 7A state semifinals against the overall No. 1 team in Florida, the Colonial Grenadiers, had rallied from a 16-point hole.
Doral trailed by one point with 2:55 left in the game, but Colonial made a layup, and the Firebirds failed to get any closer, losing 55-49.
The Firebirds’ girls’ basketball program, which had never advanced this far in the state playoffs prior to Friday, impressed Colonial coach Cindy Richardson.
“They work h-a-r-d,” Richardson said, slowing down on her final word in that sentence in order to emphasize her point. “To me, they play Midwesttype basketball — pass, cut, back-door.
“Watching film of them every day for the past two weeks, they are one of the hardest-working teams
I’ve seen.
“But they’re young. When they get down, it kind of crushes you a little bit.”
The Firebirds, who never led on Friday, are indeed young. Their top five players — as listed by Bustamante — are all underclassmen: freshman Victoria Valle (Silver Palms transfer); sophomores Ashley Martinez and Stephanie Vega, both Somerset transfers; and juniors Angelina DeLeon (Palmer Trinity) and Kennedy Yost.
“We have a lot of No. 1 options,” Bustamante said of her players’ skill levels.
Colonial, though, has five players committed to colleges.
That’s five more than Doral.
Colonial players who have college commitments: Carmen Richardson (East Tennessee State), Jasmynne Gibson (North Florida), Raeanne Eccleston (College of Charleston), Jasmine Bocca (Hillsborough Community College) and Jalei O’Neil (Eastern Florida State). In addition, Destinie
Gordon has a Daytona State offer.
“All six seniors will get full rides, and that’s the most important part,” Richardson said.
On Friday, Valle led the Firebirds with 12 points, but she wasn’t as efficient as she would’ve liked, making just 3-of-15 shots. She also had a game-hightying
three turnovers.
Bustamante, though, has Valle’s back.
“I’m proud of my group and the way we battled back in the second half,” Bustamante said. “We continued to fight no matter what the scoreboard said.”
Colonial (27-3) led 15-8 after one quarter, 29-17 at halftime and 41-30 entering the fourth.
Doral (23-8) had its five-game win streak ended — a run that included a regional semifinal doubleovertime win over Western.
Valle said Doral had some losses earlier this season during which her team lacked confidence.
“We weren’t mentally strong enough to bounce back,” Valle said. “It took time, trust and respect to come together.
“I have a lot of emotions — mainly disappointed. I was hoping to make it to the championship. I thought we had a really good squad.”
Bustamante, who played high school in Miami (Lourdes) and competed collegiately at Notre Dame, has never won a state title. She had previously made state as a player in 1997 and as an assistant coach in 2005.
Friday was particularly painful.
“A couple of bounces go a different way, and we might be talking about a [win],” Bustamante said. “I could second-guess my decisions until I turn blue …
“I will probably watch film of the game five times tonight. But we can’t add another minute to the game to see how it would’ve played out. We have to live with the outcome.”