Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Boca, Deerfield Beach cruise into regional semis
BOCA RATON — Boca Raton showed why it’s a major contender for a girls basketball state championship this year.
On Thursday, the Bobcats opened up the playoffs with a 82-41 win over Wellington in the Class 9A regional quarterfinals. Boca Raton will face Palm Beach Gardens on Tuesday, after the Gators topped visiting Lake Worth, 34-30, Thursday night.
The Bobcats’ offense was virtually unstoppable, with five players scoring in double figures. Senior guard Grace Marko, a Boston College signee, led with with 29 points. Junior forward Hannah Pratt added 14 points, while sophomore guard Audrey Ramsey (12 points), freshman guard Grace Alfieri (12) and senior guard Rachel Levy (11) all hit double figures as well.
Wellington trailed Boca Raton by just four points midway through the second quarter, but the Bobcats ended the half on a 14-0 run and never looked back.
For Wellington, junior guard Sydney Jones led the Wolverines with 19 points.
Boca Raton is seeking its third consecutive trip to the state tournament — and its first title. The team reached the Class 8A championship game last season, but suffered a double-overtime loss to Vero Beach.
DEERFIELD BEACH 56, PIPER 34:
Dominating on the boards and consistently scoring easy baskets in the paint, Deerfield Beach routed host Piper in a Region 3-9A quarterfinal.
Deerfield (20-8) advances to face district rival Douglas in a regional semifinal Tuesday after the Eagles defeated Cypress Bay, 56-54. The Bucks are 1-2 against the Eagles this season, handing them one of their two losses on the year but falling in the district final last Friday.
“To get that confidence level back inside is a big help,” Deerfield coach Portia Williams said. “We’re going to need that going on to the next round.”
Senior forward N’Mya Pierce led the charge with a game-high 17 points. Junior center Ashley Shell pitched in 12 points and 11 rebounds, and senior wing G’Torria Swinton had 11 points, nine rebounds and six assists. Sophomore point guard Kayla Burrows went for nine points and five assists.
Deerfield outscored Piper 15-5 in the third quarter to extend a seven-point halftime advantage to a 38-21 lead before the final period.
Piper (15-9), out in regional quarterfinals for the second consecutive season after a regional final appearance in 2015, was led by senior Amaya Scott’s 16 points, eight rebounds and four steals. The Bengals won the District 12-9A title (previously 12-8A) for the third straight year.
ST. ANDREW’S 44, PINE CREST 23:
Back on Nov. 21, Pine Crest throttled St. Andrew’s, 61-42.
Thursday night, it was all St. Andrew’s, as the Scots win 44-23 in a Class 5A regional quarterfinal. Senior Daniella Turnerjust about single-handedly outscored the Panthers.
Turner had 12 points in the first half and added nine more in the second to finish with 21 points.
“We controlled the game tonight,” St. Andrew’s coach Andy Russo said. “Defensively we did a great job on their players.”
St. Andrew’s (15-6) will play Cardinal Gibbons in Tuesday’s regional semifinals. The Chiefs routed St. John Paul, 66-23, Thursday night.
Pine Crest’s season ends 16-6.
Valeria De Las Casas led the Panthers with 14 points — 10 in the second half.
St. Andrew’s was in command from the start, building a 15-5 first-quarter lead.
St. Andrew’s went up 20-7 with 5:30 left in the second quarter on a 3-pointer from Alexa Gotchess and a steal and layup from Turner. The Scots led 24-9 at halftime and 32-19 going to the fourth quarter.
Regional finals are scheduled for Fri., Feb. 17. The state tournament is Feb. 21-25.