Basketball state championships have begun in Lakeland with a few Orlando-area teams making the cut. One has already come home with a title.
Lake Highland Prep. won its second straight state title with a 72-30 rout of Brooks-DeBartolo, racing out to as much as a 27-point lead in the first half and cruising to the win. Alabama signee Jordan Lewis recorded her first career triple double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. It was quite a time to come through with it.
“I think the girls just had to get comfortable and realize – that they [Brooks-DeBartolo] had some nice size but we can defend them on this end and then exploit them on the other end,” LHP coach Al Honor told Despina Barton of Bright House Sports Network. “We knew with their size they couldn’t cover our guard play—which we don’t have a true post just have wings and everyone can shoot the basketball.”
The Highlanders made 11 3-pointers to help overcome that size with the team’s lone senior putting in that stellar performance.
The back-to-back state championships give the Highlanders their third state crown.
It also tipped off a state championship series that has plenty of Orlando-area representation. Seminole and Edgewater each fell in the state semifinals. Bishop Moore is playing Ribault in the state championship game Saturday.
The FHSAA Boys Basketball Tournament is entering the regional finals round this weekend.
Winter Park has already punched its ticket to Lakeland with a 63-56 victory over Seminole on Friday. The Wildcats got 16 points from Malik Farley to lead the way into the state championship series in Lakeland. Winter Park will play Coral Springs on Friday in the state semifinals.
Trinity Prep will play Melbourne Holy Trinity on Saturday in the 4A Regional Finals. Trinity beat rival Lake Highland on the men’s side to deny that state title sweep. This marks the Saints’ first regional finals appearance.
First Academy will play Jacksonville Providence in the 3A Regional Finals on Saturday in what should be a difficult matchup for the top-ranked team in 3A and the top-ranked team in the Sentinel’s Super 16.
It is possible for an all-Orlando final in 3A with Windermere Prep playing Tampa Prep in the opposite side of the bracket. This is a game with some star power including Windermere Prep’s David Nickelberry and Parker Davis going up against Connecticut signee Juwan Durham.
In Class 2A, Orlando Christian Prep will play Lake Wales Vanguard in Orlando Christian Prep’s 10th straight regional finals. They have plenty of experience in state championship series games.
It will be a busy weekend in basketball throughout Orlando.
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