Foul trouble hinders Wolves
LAKELAND — Before Evan Hinson arrived, Deltona rarely won.
The boys basketball team went to the region tournament just three times in 25 years prior to the 2012-13 season. Hinson has since brought the school to four straight playoff appearances, and Friday led the Wolves to the state tournament for the first time.
In the end, though, lack of depth was their downfall. Two starters, including Hinson’s freshman brother, Blake, fouled out of the game in the final quarter as Deltona (22-9) dropped 56-44 to five-time state champion Fort Lauderdale Dillard (27-5) in a Class 6A state semifinal at the Lakeland Center.
Dillard will play for an- other title at 1:30 p.m. today against Largo.
“I was frustrated with the fouls,” said Deltona coach Denny Hinson, father of Evan and Blake. “I saw it coming. We were a little bit out of control, and I couldn’t stop it.
“We got deep into our bench, and our bench is not the same as our starters with trying to rebound with elite athletes. We ran out of bodies that could compete with them.”
The elite athletes included 6-foot-5 Dillard seniors Jordan Wright (19 points, 10 rebounds) and Raiquan Gray (13 points, 12 rebounds). Blake Hinson (nine points, six rebounds) gave Deltona a quick 3-1lead with a beyond-the-arc bucket to start the game. The Wolves played tough defense against Dillard, and won the rebound battle 13-4 in the first quarter for an 11-8 lead.
Dillard opened the second quarter with a 12-2 run that put the Panthers up 20-13. A three by Evan Hinson (10 points, four rebounds) snapped the Wolves out of it, and another trey from senior Jimmy Douglas brought Deltona within 28-21 at halftime.
The Wolves were fouled twice and hit three free throws to open the third quarter. Then Blake Hinson scored on a layup to come within 28-26.
Dillard’s Bryce Oliver stepped it up from there, hitting six points and drawing Blake Hinson’s fourth foul.
Dillard commanded a 12-point lead when Blake Hinson fouled out with 4:24 left. On the next play, Deltona big man Danny Marquez fouled out, and it was downhill from there.
“This year was no doubt the best season of basketball I ever played,” Blake Hinson said.
“It was fun, had a lot of passion in it. We turned the whole program around. We can be proud about that as a team, as a city.”