Defending 2A champ Sagemont boys’ basketball headed to state for the third year in a row
“Prepared to defend, ready to repeat.”
In the corner of the Sagemont High School gym, there’s a poster with those six words. Take another look around, and countless fans wear a T-shirt with that same message — in a nutshell, it sums up the Lions season.
Top-seeded Sagemont boys’ basketball wants back-to-back Class 2A state titles, and it moved one step closer to that goal with a 68-56 win over second-seeded True North Classical Academy in the Region 4-2A finals on Friday night at Sagemont High School.
The Lions have now won their region three years in a row. They’ll face Jacksonville Impact Christian Academy in the state semifinals on Feb. 27 at 3 p.m.
“Always feels good to go to [state],” Sagemont head coach David Roe said. “With a new group, it feels even better. A lot of their first times, and we’re excited to be back. Try to repeat.”
One of the Lions’ newcomers is star junior Patrick Liburd, a transfer from NSU University in Fort Lauderdale. He scored a game-high 23 points, including seven straight points late in the fourth quarter to effectively ice the game. Guard Kevin Thomas added 15 points.
“They just couldn’t guard me,” Libard said. “It was just as simple as that. I just kept attacking. They kept switching, but they couldn’t stop me.”
While the Lions led for most of the game, it was True North that got off to a quick start. After Thomas drilled a three-pointer to open the game, star guard Jasen Lopez, who finished with a team-high 20 points, sparked a 10-0 Titans run with three consecutive baskets.
True North led 15-10 at the end of the first quarter, causing Sagemont to make adjustments. Those adjustments worked, and the Lions took a 26-24 lead into halftime.
“Early on, it was just finding the lineup that worked for us,” Roe said. “Once we went a bit more guard oriented, we were able to really stretch it out a little bit, and then we could bring the bigs back in with the lead and be able to sit back and protect a little bit more.”
Sagemont opened the third quarter with a 7-2 run, aided by five points from Thomas, and controlled the game from there. Titan guard Boosie Swan, who was right behind Lopez with 18 points, drilled a three-pointer to cut the deficit to four early in the fourth, but Sagemont senior Devontae Jean responded with a three-pointer on the next possession. He made four three-pointers off the bench.
“Devontae was with us last year,” Roe said, “and in the Final Four last year, Devontae probably had seven or eight more threes. So he’s not a stranger to this, and he’s someone who brings energy off the bench for us. He’s our best three-point shooter, and these moments aren’t too small for him.”
As the final seconds expired, Thomas ended the game with an electric between-the-legs dunk — sending the crowd into a frenzy which quickly turned into an on-court celebration. But the Lions still have two games to win if they want to hang a fourth state championship banner in their gym. Fortunately, Roe knows how to get it done.
“Just keep being consistent,” Roe said. “I think the biggest thing is to worry about yourself and not outside factors. Do what you can control and stay within ourselves. As long as the chemistry is there, and we’re not being selfish and we’re playing together, I think we’re really hard to beat.”
This story was originally published February 24, 2024 at 12:57 AM.