Miami High girls’ basketball team routs Krop in regional final, returns to final four
The celebration was conservative and for good reason.
The Miami High girls’ basketball team had just put the finishing touches on a 62-30 rout of Dr. Krop in Friday night’s Region 4-7A championship game in the Stingarees gym. The win clinched the Stingarees third consecutive trip the state final four in Lakeland but was met with a few high fives and not the fanfare that clinching a trip to state would normally bring.
“After what has happened to us each of the last two years, the girls understood that there was plenty of unfinished business, and I didn’t expect a big celebration,” said Miami High coach Sam Baumgarten, who has had to watch his team advance to the state finals the past two years only to fall in the title game, including a tough one-point loss to West Orange at the buzzer two years ago. “The only celebrating that will take place is if we win the whole thing.”
Miami High needs two more wins that will start against Orlando Timber Creek in a 7A state semifinal on Friday, Feb. 28 at 2:30 p.m. If it advances, it would take on either Palm Beach Lakes or Tampa Plant in the title game.
The Stingarees (25-5) were never threatened by the Lightning as they took a 29-14 lead to the locker room at halftime. Any doubts on the outcome were put to rest when they came out and scored the first 14 points of the third quarter to end the issue.
As she always seems to do, UCF commit Colleen Bucknor led the way for MHS by dominating the floor with 13 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots. Jeannine Scott led all scorers with 19 points, ande Darria Whitley and Janay Quinn pitched in with 11 and 10, respectively.
“Our guard play was relentless to [Krop’s] guard play,” Baumgarten said. “My girls took it personal that if we took out their guards that we would be successful. We were just at another level.”
Summary
MHS – Scott 19, Bucknor 13, Whitley 11, Quinn 10, Cruz 5, Terry 2, Lucas 1, Peterson 1. KR – B. Knowles 11, Hornstein 7, Mills 6, Weingard 2, Midiel 2.
MORE GIRLS’ BASKETBALL
▪ Region 4-3A championship — Miami Country Day 50, Westminster Academy 33: The Spartans led by just nine at halftime (22-13) but pulled away in the second half and are on their way back to the state final four for the eighth consecutive year.
Country Day, which broke the all-time state record of consecutive state championships last year with its sixth in a row, will take on Oviedo Masters Academy in a 3A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m.
The Spartans (21-9) were led by Sydney Shaw and Angela Daley with 17 and 11 points, respectively, and Gianna Corbitt pulled down eight rebounds and scored seven points.
MCD – Shaw 17, Daley 11, Theodule 10, Corbitt 7, McCormack 3, Godfrey 2. WA – Giardi 8, Mergilles 7, Erickson 6, Davis 5, Walhoff 5, Atkinson 2. 3-pointers: Shaw 2, Theodule 2, McCormack, Corbitt, Erickson, Davis, Wallhoff. Rebounds: Corbitt 8, Daley 8. Assists: Shaw 6. Steals: Shaw 4.
GIRLS’ SOCCER
▪ 2A state semifinal — St. Pete Shorecrest 3, Westminster Academy 1: The Lions made the long trip to St. Petersburg hoping to clinch the team’s first trip to a state final but couldn’t get it done. Lily Nava, the team’s leading scorer, gave Westminster a 1-0 lead on a penalty kick midway through the first half, but Shorecrest quickly tied the score before halftime and scored twice more in the second half.
BOYS’ WATER POLO
▪ Gulliver Prep. 12, Belen Jesuit 6: Bruno Rebessi 5 goals, 3 assists, 5 steals. Awwal Kay-Ramos 4 goals, 1 assist, 3 steals; Hayaat Kay-Ramos 4 assists, 6 steals; Jeronimo Dacharry 2 goals, 2 steals.
▪ Gulliver Prep 13, Boca Raton 2: Bruno Rebessi 7 goals, 1 assist, 2 steals; Jeronimo Dacharry 2 goals, 2 assists, 3 steals; Taylor Quintero 1 assist, 7 steals; Kamal Kay-Ramos 11 blocks. GP: 2-0
BASEBALL
▪ Belen Jesuit 4, Columbus 0: WP: Alejandro Morales, 6 IP, 9Ks; 2H. Lou DeGoti 2-4; Ryan Bertran 1-3, RBI, R; Sparky Carbajales 2-3, RBI; SV: Jack Sampedro. BEL: 3-0
SOFTBALL
▪ Palmetto 10, Naples Seacrest Country Day 0: WP – Melody Vizcaino 5IP, 7Ks, 0H. along with a grand slam at the plate. Zaria Wright 1-1 2R HR. Sophia Wylie 2-3, 2B, 3R. PAL: 2-0
▪ Ransom Everglades 12, LaSalle 1: WP – Abby Sekoff CG, 13Ks, 2-2, RBI, 3R; Leah Maduro 1-3, 2RBI, R; Emma Rosenthal 1-1, RBI, 2R; Cornelia Ehlebracht 1-1, R; Cheila Castro 1-1, RBI, R; Bella Bremer 1-2, R
▪ Colonial Christian 21, Archbishop Carroll 4: WP: Emily Downing 2IP, 2Ks, 2R. Emily Friman 1 IP, 2Ks, 3R; Friman 2 singles, 2RBIs; Morgan Wells 3RBI, 2SB. CC: 2-0
GIRLS’ TENNIS
▪ Ransom Everglades d. Westminster Christian 5-2: Victoria Miranda, Blythe Heller, Dina Kaplan and Samantha Miller won won singles. RE: 2-1
BOYS’ TENNIS
▪ Ransom Everglades d. Westminster Christian 6-1: David Green, Sam Gelber, Xander Lake, Dylan Kaufmann and Ian Barnett all won in singles. RE: 2-1