Stranahan and Pembroke Pines Charter advance to final of boys’ BCAA Big 8 basketball
Chase Culpepper led four Stranahan players in double figures with 14 points as the Dragons held off a furious Dillard rally to escape with a 62-58 victory in a semifinal game at the 23rd annual BCAA Big 8 boys’ championship on Friday.
It was the Dragons’ first win in four tries over the past 10 seasons.
Stranahan (18-7) advances to its second Big 8 final in three years and will face Pembroke Pines Charter, an 85-78 winner over Northeast, on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Fort Lauderdale High.
Javen Smith led the Jaguars (20-1), who have won 19 consecutive games, with 26 points. Dallas Graziani added 21 points.
The Hurricanes were led by Matthew Bewley with 19 points and Wesley Cardet with 17 points.
“We need to settle down and run our sets,” Stranahan coach Terrence Williams said after his team fell behind early. “We got complacent in the first quarter.
“I got to close now as my coaches have told me I have accomplished everything except for the Big 8. If I made it this I got to close.”
The Dragons, up by 10 points after three quarters, saw their lead slowly dwindle in the waning minutes as Jalen Haynes scored 14 of his 31 points in the quarter. His 10 consecutive free throws made got the Panthers within 57-56 with 1:11 to play.
“Haynes was a monster tonight,” Williams said. “That was the only person we were worried about. He did what he had to do for his team. We dug deep with our bench to get fouls and if he made the free throws, I could live with that.”
Dillard just couldn’t find the points to get them over the top as Stranahan connected on free throws of its own to seal the win. The charity shots came from Culpepper and Savier McCall.
Dillard was attempting to makes its 12 appearance in the finals and stretch the tournament record of seven Big 8 titles.
Dillard got off to as good a start as it could have hoped for. The Panthers jumped off to a 20-9 first quarter lead as Haynes and Darryl Burrows Jr. (12 points) combined for 12 points.
It wouldn’t last as Stranahan settled in to outscore the Panthers 20-11 in the second quarter while squeezing the deficit to 31-29 at the half.
Daquion Vickers, who finished with 13 points, and Inady Legiste (12 points) each had six points in the quarter.
DADE SOCCER COACHES MEETING FEB. 13
The Dade County High School Soccer Coaches will have their annual meeting Thursday at Miami Country Day School, 601 NE 107th Street, Miami Shores, at 7 p.m. It is very important that each school have a representative at the meeting to help pick the All-County teams, Dade County Senior All-Star teams, FACA Senior All-Stars, FACA All-State teams and United Soccer Coaches Association All-Academic and All-American teams. For more information contact Jeff Watson at 305-498-1263 or watsonj@miamicountryday.org.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
▪ District 15-4A final — Miami Springs 8, Mater Lakes 4: Gabi Cimino, an FAU commit, led the way with four goals and two assists as Springs won its 13th district title in the past 16 years. In the process, Cimino’s four goals brought her four-year total to 141, tying her for the all-time lead in Springs history. Jasmine Romay had 2 goals and 2 assists while Elizabeth Viscaino and Ashley Romay added one goal each as Springs improved to 18-2.
▪ District 15-7A final — Coral Gables 7, Braddock 2: Luana Gomes scored four of her team’s seven goals to lead the Cavaliers to the district title. Karina Leon, Nina Montero and Natalie Puntonet each scored one goal.
▪ District 15 5A final — Archbishop McCarthy 2, Pines Charter 1 (OT, 4-3 PKs): In a showdown of two of the top teams in Broward County, Nadia Colon, Jordyn Pitter, Kimmy Cover and Kelly Hastings all converted their penalty kicks to lead defending state runner-up McCarthy. Pitter scored the lone regulation goal for the Mavericks while Isa Quintero and Paloma Pena combined in goal for the victory as AM improved to 17-1-2.
▪ District 12-6A final — Cooper City 4, St. Thomas Aquinas 3: Alexis Goyette, Brook Sanfillippo and Shay Miedema scored one goal each in a losing effort for St. Thomas.
GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
▪ District 14-6A final — North Miami 48, Hollywood Hills 44: Led by Carla Jean’s 17 points, 5, rebounds, 5 blocks, 7 steals and 3 assists, the Lady Pioneers captured their first district title in program history. Desiree Sinclair (11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists), Esther Joseph (10 points, 6 steals, 3 assists) and Kendra Jumsa (9 points, 10 rebounds) also contributed to the win as North Miami improved to 22-4.
▪ District 16-3A final: Palmer Trinity 65, Westminster Christian 30: The explosive backcourt of eighth-grader Jade Leon and ninth-grader Emily Montes combined for 41 ponts and 14 steals as the Falcons blew out to a 42-18 halftime lead and cruised to the district championship.
▪ Miami Country Day 71, Ransom Everglades 19: MCD – Daley 16, Hession 11, Theodule 8, Corbitt 8, Nelms 8, Shaw 6, Martin 5, Sheppard 3, Gonzalez 2, Delancy 2, K. Godfrey 1, I. Godfrey 1. RE – Arnold 6, Serra 6, Weintraub 5, Harris 2. Half: MCD 36-10. 3-pointers: Hession 3, Shaw 2, Theodule 2, Sheppard, Arnold, Weintraub, Serra. Rebounds: Nelms 8. Assists: Corbitt 5. Steals: Theodule 7. Blocks: Corbitt, Delancy, Guevara, Hession 1.
BOYS’ BASKETBALL
▪ TERRA 84, Braddock 83: TER – Blanco 29, Nelson 27, Morales 13, Santiago 12, Vasquez 2. Assists: Blanco 6. Steals: Nelson 5.