Southridge’s ‘magnificent seven’ power girls’ basketball team to first ever state final
Call them the “Southridge Seven.”
Or better yet, call them Southridge’s “Magnificent Seven.”
Fans and parents of the Spartans’ girls’ basketball team already are and even making shirts and sweaters in honor of their small, but talented roster, which made more school history on Thursday morning.
Southridge’s roster of seven bucked any perception of it having “lack of depth” during a comfortable 51-19 mercy-rule rout of Lutz Steinbrenner in a Class 6A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center.
The Spartans (17-10), who played in their first state semifinal since 1987 and only their second all-time, advanced to the state finals for the first time. There they will face Valrico Bloomingdale on Saturday at 3 p.m.
“It was a team effort and our belief in each other,” Southridge guard Dianka Hardisson said. “We’ve faced a lot of adversity and this is a sisterhood. There’s only seven of us. They all feel like more than my teammates. They’re more like sisters.
“It’s a funny environment. We have fun and feel that family vibe.”
Hardisson and Sakura Barnes, who each scored 15 points in Thursday’s win, have their siblings on the team. Hardisson’s sister, Naya, had nine points and seven assists. Barnes’ sister, Joann, is one of the team’s two reserves along with Kailani Lee. Emily Jean-Glaude had eight points and six rebounds while Zharianna Guion totaled four points and four rebounds.
The starting five have become accustomed to playing extended time as they did Thursday when each played at least 26 of the game’s 32 minutes.
It didn’t affect their performance as the Spartans took the lead late in the first quarter on a Sakura Barnes three-pointer and never trailed again. Barnes hit a three at the third quarter buzzer off the glass from near halfcourt and Hardisson’s layup with 6:35 left in the fourth prompted a running clock.
“We had a plan and we executed the plan and did what we needed to do,” said Barnes, who also had 15 rebounds. “We just have to stay locked in and get the ‘dub.’”
Southridge, which started the season with only six players, had to become even more of a tight-knit family following a 9-9 start in late January, and after losing one of their coaches and two players, who left to play flag football. The Spartans needed to add three players from their junior varsity team to fill out their roster.
The lack of depth hurt Southridge during a lopsided loss to Miami High in the GMAC championship game on Jan. 25.
But under the direction of head coach Nicholas Rodriguez and assistant coaches Stephasia Doctor, her uncle and Southridge boys’ head coach Robert Doctor, and Carl Ballard, who could not attend Thursday’s game because his wife was giving birth to their first child, the Spartans got things moving in the right direction.
Stephasia Doctor is the niece of Robert Doctor, who led South Miami to the state final four five times from 2013-2019 before becoming the Spartans’ boys coach.
“We always preach family,” said Stephasia Doctor, who was raised by her uncle and accompanied him on those prior state tournament trips at South Miami. “I’ve been here plenty of times when he came to (the) state (tournament) and experienced coaching all my life so it was an easy transition for me and he’s always motivated me.”
The results of Southridge’s resurgent efforts showed in the regional playoffs as the Spartans scored a pair of impressive road wins against four-time reigning state champion Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas and Davie Nova - the top two seeds in Class 6A.
And the momentum continued on Thursday as Southridge put itself on the brink of another historic milestone.
“As long as we play as a family, we believe we can get it done,” Stephasia Doctor said. “There may be seven of us, but we are one.”
This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 12:28 PM.
