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Gryphons Physical In Title Win

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By JUSTIN LENTZ, Tribune correspondent

Published: February 3, 2008

TAMPA - Top-seeded Sickles won the Class 6A-District 7 championship with a physical 40-31 victory against St. Petersburg.

Led by senior guard Shawnta Snakovsky and senior forward Katie MacKenzie, the Gryphons (24-2) dominated on offense and defense. The Gryphons used rapid ball movement to create open shots as they took a 12-3 lead in the middle of the first quarter.

"I came in today and found them having a team meeting all by themselves," Sickles coach Mark Key said. "So I left them alone and let them have their own meeting."

After last night's win against Countryside, Sickles utilized what little time they had in order to prepare for tonight's contest.

"I got the girls out here early for warm-ups and we had a meal together and just spent some quality time together in order to relax and prepare," Key said.

The relaxation was evident as the Gryphons controlled the first half. While Sickles was able to find success offensively, St. Petersburg struggled with its half-court offense. Missed shots and numerous turnovers plagued the Green Devils throughout the entire game. And while both teams struggled with their outside shooting, St. Petersburg also found difficulty generating any offense by attacking the lane.

"Turnovers eventually killed us," St. Petersburg coach Ryan Halstead said. "They've been a problem for some time and they finally came back to bite us."
Sickles will host Sarasota in the regional quarterfinals. St. Petersburg will travel to Sarasota Riverview on Thursday.

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