Sports Leadership & Management girls’ basketball offense unravels in state semifinals
Vivian Chirino has been with Sports Leadership & Management since the Miami charter school opened its doors in 2013. The guard was only in seventh grade at the time and SLAM was still a few years away from establishing itself as a surprise staple in Lakeland for the
On Wednesday, the Titans’ only senior played her final game on a stage the program has quickly become familiar with. For the third straight season, SLAM reached the state semifinals and, for the third straight season, the semifinals is where the season ended. An extended scoring drought stretching from early in the first quarter until early in the second prevented any chance for an upset bid against Tampa Carrollwood Day. Carrollwood Day triggered a running clock in the third quarter and blew out the Titans, 64-23, in the Class 4A semifinals at the RP Funding Center.
The Patriots’ win spoils the chance for an all-Miami title game as Carrollwood Day advances to face Miami Country Day in the 4A championship Thursday at 2 p.m. back at George W. Jenkins Arena.
Even though the semifinal stage has become familiar for SLAM, the hurdle has been difficult for the team to pass. The Titans’ three semifinal losses have come by an average of 41 points and disastrous first quarter kept SLAM (15-11) from preventing another rout.
The Titans went 8:25 without scoring from the 7:28 mark of the first quarter to the 7:03 of the second, and then went to the 3:02 mark of the period without making another field goal. By the end of the first quarter, Carrollwood Day (27-1) had a 16-point lead.
“I think for the first half nerves got the best of us,” coach Michelle Smith said. “Teams make adjustments, so I guess we weren’t prepared for the adjustments as fast as they were happening, so that’s what kind of put us in a hole in the first half.”
SLAM shot just 17.3 percent from the field, missing 14 consecutive during the 12:30 field-goal drought. The Patriots won handily despite going 0 of 9 from three-point range by forcing the Titans into 31 turnovers and turning those into 32 points. Carrollwood Day racked up 23 steals and Patriots junior Tarriyonna Gary came one steal short of a triple-double with 14 points, 13 rebounds and nine steals.
Next year will present a final chance for this group to finally get over the hump in Polk County. SLAM starts four juniors, including guard Marta Franco, already the leading scorer in program history. Three of the four have been with SLAM for the entirety of this three-year run, which has yielded the school’s first three trips to the final four.
“We just have to get better, period, and it starts with me,” Smith said. “I’m still young in the profession and I’m going up against coaches that have been coaching for 10-plus years and this is my fourth year, so to even be here for me, it was a great honor and a privilege, but it just starts for me to get better and get my players better.”
This story was originally published February 27, 2019 at 2:20 PM.
