SLAM girls’ basketball continues renaissance and stands one win from returning to state
Located on the seventh floor of its school’s building near downtown Miami, the SLAM girls’ basketball team enjoys a beautiful view of the city on each side of its home gym.
And once the sun sets, one of the top squads in the state takes over.
The Titans have made the venue they affectionately call “The Penthouse” a tough stop for opponents in recent years.
On Monday night, SLAM gave another demonstration as it thoroughly dominated visiting Monsignor Pace for a 66-25 win in a Region 4-4A semifinal.
The Titans (22-3) scored the game’s first 15 points and prompted the 35-point mercy rule midway through the third quarter on their way to securing their first regional final appearance since 2019.
SLAM will next try to reach the state final four for first time in five years and third time in program history when it hosts Boynton Beach Somerset Canyons on Thursday night at 7 p.m. The Titans beat Somerset Canyons, 61-55, on Dec. 19.
“It really shows the hard work we’ve put in the past two years,” SLAM coach Krystal Cabrera said. “It all really took off in that game. The chemistry on the court comes from what we have off the court. This is a very united group. These girls are sisters. They love each other and you can see those friendships they have shine on the court.”
Cabrera, who was hired as SLAM’s coach at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, has helped rebuild the program almost from scratch after that difficult season. The Titans had only two players returning in 2020 from the prior season, one of whom was junior point guard Jim’miyah Branton, who has since become a cornerstone of their team.
Branton began playing for SLAM in the sixth grade and is now in her fourth year as a starter. She scored a game-high 21 points on Monday, showing her all-around skills at both ends of the floor.
“It’s all coming to fruition,” Cabrera said. “Miyah’s really our leader and gets other people involved. She gets our shooters involved and scorers near the rim. She showcased her skills tonight.”
Branton is not alone.
SLAM collectively has become a cohesive group that can score at an up-tempo pace and defend well. Adaya Montalvo finished with 13 points while Sam Vales had 12 points. Sam Bautista added 10 points.
After taking a 40-17 lead into halftime, the Titans held Pace scoreless in the third quarter and didn’t let up. Catherine Guillaume led the Spartans with 18 points.
With the result SLAM avenged a triple-overtime loss to Pace in last year’s regional playoffs.
But the performance showed a team that was tested throughout the season after playing a challenging schedule that included Somerset Prep, Doral Academy, Blanche Ely and American Heritage, all teams still alive in the postseason.
“We’ve been working and keeping it consistent,” Branton said. “We’ve developed a family bond and as long as we keep that going we’ll have success. It’s chemistry. We’ve been together for four years and everything has come together.”
