*(plus bonus coverage from the week that was)
We traveled north from the Source Hoops Chalet to the campus of Bishop Snyder in Jacksonville to take in the final Sun Bash event of the 25-26 season.
While we were unable to catch the host school in action, we must give a shoutout to the team and coaching staff for their performance this past weekend. The Cardinals lost a tough two-point game to Milton Friday evening, then turned right around and played the first game of the day at 10:00AM against Paxon School, winning that one comfortably 45-31. The team fought off the sluggishness of an early start time to emerge with a win. A challenging back-to-back for any program.
Game One: Wildwood vs. Jacksonville Eagles View
Wildwood came out ready and led 8-2 midway thru the first period. Then 6’3 senior John Miller went scorched earth, dropping in four three-pointers in succession, and giving the Wildcats a 23-9 advantage after one period of play. Eagles View never threatened the rest of the way. The closest they came was the final score, 73-56.
Miller led all scorers with 22 points. He had a lot of help as four other Wildwood players poured in double figures. Azyron Johnson, a 6’2 senior, slashed his way to 14 points. Both Travonte Cousizan, a 5’9 junior, and Demarius Knight, a 6’3 sophomore, finished with 13 points while 6’1 sophomore Tico Smith added 11 points.
For Eagles View, 6’5 senior Anthony Austin paced the team with 12 points. Jakari Major, a 5’10 senior, tossed in 11 points and 6’2 senior Justis Clements finished with 10 points.
Game Two: St. Augustine Tocoi Creek vs. Jacksonville University Christian
The teams began the game at a good pace as the score was 12-10 midway through the first four minutes. At that point, Tocoi Creek took off, finishing the period on a 15-2 run to lead 27-12. It was an uphill climb for University Christian from that point on. They almost made it all the way back. UC was down ten, 53-43, heading into the final period and with 4:37 to play, found itself down just five, 58-53. However, UC was not able to get closer than two-possessions and Tocoi Creek wins by the score of 65-61.
TC was led by 6’5 senior Marc Mitchell with 18 points. Both 6’1 senior Javares Rickerson and 6’2 senior Daniel Figueroa scored 16 points while heralded 6’3 sophomore King McFadden finished with 12 points.
University Christian’s 6’4 senior Dexter Clark led the team with 16 points, followed closely by 15 points from 6’0 sophomore Preston Pride. Both Markel Holmes, a 6’2 junior, and Ja’kavious Dubose, a 6’4 junior, tallied 10 points.
Game Three: St. Augustine Nease vs. Milton
Milton made the long trek from nearby Pensacola and played a Friday night game, then turned around and played the next afternoon. The team didn’t show any ill effects from that schedule, jetting out to a 15-5 lead after one quarter of play and growing that to 38-13 at the break. Nease never threatened, and Milton takes the long ride back west on I-10 with a 69-42 win.
For Milton, it was pretty much the Robinson twins show. Sergio Robinson, a 6’0 senior, put up 25 points as well as delivered several assists. Mateo Robinson, a 6’4 senior, also scored 25 points, slashing his way to the basket for both easy scores and tough finishes.
Nease was led by 6’4 junior Chase Phifer with 14 points. Luke Lindsay, a 6’1 junior, added 12 points while 6’6 sophomore Camden Cooper contributed 10 points.
Game Four: Jacksonville Providence vs. Jacksonville Bishop Kenny
These two private schools have developed a solid rivalry over the years. This time around, Providence quickly left no doubt which was the better team. The Stallions scored the first seven points of the contest on their way to leading 18-6 at the end of the first quarter. Kenny could never generate enough offense to make a run. Consequently, Providence slowly but consistently built its lead over the entire contest, winning handily by the score of 57-37.
Will Stewart, a 6’3 sophomore paced Providence with 22 points. Marvin Christie, a 6’3 senior, finished with 13 points, many in spectacular, above-the-rim fashion. Luke Mayberry, a 6’2 senior and Navy signee, finished with 10 points.
For Bishop Kenny, Joe Joseph, a 6’5 junior, led the team with 11 points, going 3-4 from behind the arc in the process.
Game Five: Jacksonville Impact Christian vs. Tallahassee Rickards
Impact is one of the better Class 1A schools in the state but doesn’t hesitate to challenge bigger schools. The first four minutes were a bit sluggish for both teams as the 4-4 score indicates. Impact was the first to get going and led 12-7 after one quarter. That margin grew to ten, 26-16, heading into the half. Early in the third, it became evident that Rickards was not going to be able to generate enough offense to mount a threat to Impact’s lead. Impact won by twenty, 47-27.
Impact Christian was led by 6’6 senior Frandy Perez with 12 points. The team’s interior trio of Perez, 6’9 senior Mechack Olungu, and 6’7 junior Lillian Tchabo, made life tough at both ends of the court for the Raiders of Rickards.
Calvin Thomas, a 6’5 senior, led Rickards with 9 points.
Game Six: Fleming Island vs. Boca Ciega
The Eagles of Fleming Island got off to a good start against the Pirates, leading 11-7 after four minutes. Fleming Island then took off on a 16-6 run to finish the first. Boca Ciega “recovered” to play evenly with the Eagles in the second quarter but that only means they were down 40-25, at the break.
The second half was anticlimactic as Fleming Island once again used its defense to generate offense. Several steals and slams led to building on the fifteen-point halftime lead. Fleming Island led by as much as 73-48 in the final quarter before Boca Ciega closed the gap to the final score of 78-58.
Fleming Island’s Carson Crawford, a 6’7 junior, had a game-high 24 points. Isaiah Robinson, a 6’1 junior contributed 15 points while Bryce Robinson, a 6’0 senior, tallied 11 points.
Boca Ciega was led by 5’10 senior Greg Samuels with 17 points while 5’8 sophomore Matthew Cabassa put up 15 points.
We had to leave with one more contest left to play and that was Jacksonville Jackson taking on Mainland out of Daytona Beach. After a day of games with double-digit margins of victory, this one turned out to be a back-and-forth affair before Jackson escaped with a 58-55 win. Jackson’s only loss on the season is a two-point set back to Impact Christian back in December.
*Bonus Coverage: The Villages at Montverde Academy
After lighting up IMG Academy on Wednesday night, Montverde was back to host The Villages just two days later. The atmosphere and team had been highly charged Wednesday. It seemed to affect the Eagles’ play in the opening quarter as they looked a bit flat despite rolling to an 18-10 first quarter lead. In the second quarter, The Villages got to within two at 22-20 with three minutes left in the half. Montverde “woke up” at that point, finishing the period with a 7-2 run. That carried over into the third quarter, as the Eagles outscored the Buffaloe 16-5 and grew its advantage to 45-27. The Villages made a run to make it 53-40 with four minutes left in the game, but Montverde would ultimately win 59-45.
Five players finished in double-figures for Montverde. Oneal Delancy, a 6’3 junior, led the way with 14 points. Both 6’2 senior Dhani Miller and 6’8 junior Derek Daniels finished with 12 points. Joe Philon, a 6’7 senior, and Javion Tyndale, a 5’9 junior, tallied 10 points.
The Villages got a game-high 17 points from Aaron Britt, a 6’0 junior. Jared Thompson, a 6’2 senior, tallied 11 points.
*Bonus Coverage: Lecanto at Leesburg
This was one of the stranger games I can recall seeing in my two decades plus of covering high school basketball in the state. Lecanto came into the game with only seven available players. Leesburg definitely had more than that but was missing the team’s top big man and best backcourt player.
It was quite a surprise when Lecanto got out to a 10-0 lead after the first four minutes of play. The onslaught continued until the first quarter buzzer sounded and Lecanto led by the score of 23-8.
In between the first and second quarters, the Leesburg coaches pulled the team out of the gym and into the hallway leading to the locker rooms. “Magic” words must have been spoken because the second quarter was a complete turnaround. Leesburg used its physical advantages to shift momentum. At the half, the game was now much closer but Lecanto still held the lead at 32-27.
The thinking was Leesburg would continue its pounding of the undermanned Lecanto squad around the rim. That didn’t happen, as once again Lecanto used the power of the three-ball to build a double-digit lead, 55-41, going into the final period of play.
The Yellow Jackets of Leesburg went back to what worked in the second quarter and it worked once again. Both teams had chances to win in the closing seconds but when the horn sounded to end regulation, the game was tied at 64-64.
Leesburg was the first to grab a lead in the overtime session and it looked like they had the game wrapped up, leading 72-69 with nine seconds to play. J.T. Tipton, a 5’11 senior, banked in a triple to tied the game at that point and we headed into a second overtime period. Lecanto grabbed control early in the second OT period and ended up winning by the score of 78-74.
Tipton led all scorers with 38 points. Braylen Moore, a 6’2 senior, helped the cause with 22 points.
For Leesburg, 6’6 senior Angelo Moton pumped in 27 points.