Wekiva, Olympia fall in semis

Wekiva opened its Class 9A girls basketball state semifinal facing a huge deficit.

The Mustangs never recovered as they shot just 10-for-62 from the field and lost 52-33 to Miami Ferguson in Class 9A at The Lakeland Center.

Wekiva trailed 16-4 after one and fell behind 30-7 by halftime.

“I kept preaching to the girls that we can’t get off to a slow start, and that was a prime example of that,” Wekiva coach Tommie Butts said.

“I just told the girls to focus on energy and effort,” he said. “And we didn’t do that too well in the first half. We gave up too many loose balls, their transition was great, and we never got into a rhythm.”

Brierra Williams led the Mustangs with 12 points.

Wekiva was playing in its third final four in four years.

“I told the girls to keep their head up and use this as a learning tool,” Butts said. “Experience is the key to success, and I hope this makes them more hungry.” quarter through the final buzzer.

“I just wish it was a more manageable lead to come back from,” he said. “It’s tough against a team that shoots at such a high percentage because it’s not like we’re going to take all their shots away.”

Olympia appeared in position to make a run early in the third when they got within 28-21 on free throws from Anjelie Tirone and Ni'Dericka Rainey and a layup by Brianna Richardson.

But Boca responded by scoring the next 14 points to break the game open for good.

Three players scored in double figures for Olympia, led by Richardson with 14 points, six rebounds and four steals.

Taylor Hair finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds and Rainey had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Jones is one win away from its first girls basketball state title since 2004.

The Tigers face Tallahassee Florida High in a Class 5A state final Saturday at 10 a.m. at The Lakeland Center.

Admission is $10 per person. Parking is $10.

Jones (23-7) rallied from a 16-point third-quarter deficit to get past West Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy 57-56 in overtime on Wednesday.

Florida High (26-6) defeated Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons 48-43.

Florida High is led by eighth-grader Jordan Rosier and Sarah McCrackin. Rosier entered the state tournament averaging 13 points while McCrackin has added 11 points, eight rebounds and four assists per game.