It is early in the season, but the Nova girls' basketball team is making its case for being one of the top teams in Class 5A.

The Titans continued to prove that on Tuesday, when they dismantled defending state champion South Broward at the Junior Orange Bowl Classic finals.

Junior Jassany Williams posted a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Nova never gave the Bulldogs a chance in routing them 64-33 at the Miami Dade College Kendall Campus.

Nova becomes the first Broward team to win the Junior Orange Bowl since the girls' bracket was added in 1995.

After winning the Savannah Holiday Classic, second-year coach Jason Hively said, claiming a title at the Junior Orange Bowls, which he considered a step up in competition, would be a huge accomplishment for a program that has never won a state championship.

But after back-to-back years in which his team lost to Naples Barron Collier in the regional playoffs, Hively isn't getting excited yet.

''We like our position right now,'' Hively said. ``But we just want to stay focused, play good basketball down the stretch and stay humble.''

It's hard to stay humble after the way Nova (12-1) handled South Broward (11-2) -- fresh off winning the Hawk Kreul Classic in Coral Springs.

Thanks to Williams' post game, South Broward's big girl, Alicia DeVaughn, got into foul trouble early, and Williams -- named the tournament's Most Valuable Player -- was able to have her way.

• St. Francis (Maryland) 64, Dillard 48: St. Francis used a 20-5 run during the second quarter to blow open the game and defeat Dillard 64-48 in the Dillard Holliday Classic Championship on Tuesday.

Tournament MVP Terrell Vinson finished with a game-high 25 points for St. Francis, including 13 points in the first half.

Sherman Gammage led the Panthers with 15 points, while Robert Burger provided a lift off the bench with 10 points.

• Dillard Holliday Classic - Championship match -- St. Francis (Maryland) 64, Dillard 48 -- STF (11-1): Vinson 25, Lewis 4, Rodgers 6, Holmes 6, Chestmon 4, Spasorow 19. DIL (10-3): Burger 10, Landers 6, Anthony 6, Ojeda 2, Gammage 15, Burrows 7, Blair 2. Halftime: STF 33-21. Three-pointers: Burger 3, Gammage 3, Burrows 1, Vinson 4.

-- FABIAN LYON

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