Miami Country Day girls’ basketball outlasts Somerset Prep to return to state final four
This season didn’t start like a typical one for the Miami Country Day girls’ basketball team.
The Spartans lost their first three games and started 2-4 - albeit against a tough schedule - with the last of those losses coming against North Lauderdale Somerset Prep.
But this is playoff time.
And that’s when Miami Country Day has excelled for more than a decade.
The Spartans didn’t disappoint Thursday night in a rematch with Somerset Prep as they navigated through a gritty, low-scoring contest to beat the Hurricanes 52-37 in the Region 4-3A final at Miami Country Day.
“Timing was the biggest thing the first time we played them,” Miami Country Day coach Ochiel Swaby said. “We had just come from Jacksonville and lost three games against national teams. We had no confidence and we were trying to figure out our lineup. We found our rotation and our main kids are playing well and everything since has been going well for us.”
Next for the Spartans (20-8) comes a chance to add to their storied legacy as they chase their ninth state championship starting next week in Lakeland.
Miami Country Day, the top seed in Class 3A, will take on Jacksonville Providence on Wednesday in a state semifinal at the RP Funding Center at a time to be determined.
The Spartans, who already have the most state titles all-time of any Miami-Dade County girls’ basketball program, are looking to go back-to-back and start a new title streak.
“It’s important that the work these kids put in is validated,” Swaby said. “We work these kids with the idea that you can win a championship if you sacrifice and put the time in. Our school gives us the opportunity to go and travel and do a lot of things so we have to make sure that the money the school invests in us ends up being worth it.”
Country Day never trailed and the game was tied only once in the first two minutes although the Hurricanes (20-8), who were seeking their first trip to state since winning back-to-back titles in 2018 and 2019, kept themselves in the game in the second half.
Senior and Baylor signee Kayla Nelms paced Country Day with 20 points and 23 rebounds and dominated inside. Nelms’ play in the paint freed up Spartans’ shooters to make five 3-pointers. Kaliyah Morales finished with 12 points and three assists while Sofia Mendez added nine points and three rebounds. Jalynn Belton had six points and five assists and Kori Edge had five points and three assists.
Jocelyn Gagnon led Somerset Prep with 11 points.
“When I looked at their team, we knew they would make us work and it wouldn’t be easy,” Swaby said. “We were really focused defensively. We showed the kids the film from the first meeting with them and they were very motivated.”
