LAKELAND -- A swarming defense and a game-high 27 points from Pine Crest star guard Brandon Knight will keep the Class 3A championship trophy in the same place for at least another year.

With a 60-44 victory over Orlando Jones in the 3A title game Friday at The Lakeland Center, Pine Crest brought home its second state championship in a row.

''It is sweeter the second time around because you know what you've been through,'' Knight said. ``The tough games you had to struggle to win to get to this point. We went through a lot of tough games to get here. Once you win it one year, you have a target on your back the next year.''

Pine Crest (27-4) became the first Broward team to repeat since Fort Lauderdale Dillard won its second of four consecutive 6A titles in 2001.

Although Knight was the top scorer, this championship was a group effort. Senior forward Ed Waite, the 2008 state semifinals MVP, muscled his way to 13 points and 11 rebounds, and Jeremiah Bell, who played through a shoulder injury from football, added 10 points.

A second state title didn't come without a price for coach David Beckerman. Before the season started, Bell and Beckerman agreed that if Pine Crest won another state title, they would be allowed to shave their coach's head. During the awards ceremony, Bell playfully rubbed Beckerman's head, signaling Beckerman had to make good on his promise.

''I have a cookout at my house with the entire team and their families when I come back from a cruise,'' Beckerman said. ``One of the highlights is they will laugh when they give me a buzz-cut sometime in April. I don't mind. This title is more than worth it.''

Knight sparked a game-changing 11-1 run at the start of the second quarter with seven points. After Waite's reverse layup gave Pine Crest a 20-15 lead, Knight hit a three-pointer, followed up a missed shot after his steal and then extended in the air for a scoop shot to push the margin to 27-16 with 5:15 left.

By that point, Knight (15 points) had nearly matched Orlando Jones' total (16).

''There were two keys tonight,'' Orlando Jones coach Jerry Howard said. ``One, they had Brandon, and, two, we couldn't bury our shots. I don't think they were that much a better team than us.

``When you don't hit any shots, you can't get into your defense, and we have an up-tempo defense.''

With four seconds left in the first half, Traveon Henry found Waite alone for a two-handed dunk to give Pine Crest a 33-22 halftime lead.

Orlando Jones (28-4) was never able to solve Pine Crest's half-court trapping defense and hit just 20 of 62 shots.

''Championships are about defense,'' Waite said. ``Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships. We proved that again. We talked about it in the locker room.

``We wanted to jump out on them. That defense, talking, rotation was crazy.''

Orlando Jones, however, jumped back into the game with a three-pointer from Angelo Warrner to open the third quarter and a putback from Willie Scott that cut Pine Crest's lead to 36-29 with 5:34 left.

But there would be no denying Pine Crest, which wrapped up its second state title with an 8-0 run. Bell hit a turnaround jumper, Westbrook tapped in a miss and Knight had a pretty finger roll for a 44-29 lead with 3:32 left.

Pine Crest fans started a ''We Want Marvin'' chant for reserve forward Marvin Pierre with less than two minutes remaining and Beckerman obliged, inserting the longtime favorite to a rousing applause.

Jones (28-4): J. Thompson 15, Scott 10, Hollinger 10, Warner 7, M. Williams 2.

PC (27-4): Knight 27, Waite 13, Bell 10, Westbrook 8, Buzzard 2, Westbrook 8.

Half: PC 33-22. Three-pointers: Knight 1, J. Thompson 1, Warner 1. Rebounds: Waite 11, Knight 9, Westbrook 7. Assists: Knight 4. Steals: Knight, Waite 1.