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Jefferson Shocks Clearwater

Tribune photo by JASON BEHNKEN

Jefferson High School players celebrate with their fans after defeating Clearwater 59-49 in the regional semifinal game.

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A Tribune staff report

Published: February 18, 2009

TAMPA - Jefferson coach Tom Mosca said Clearwater was a much better team than the one that dismantled the Dragons by 39 points last year. Turns out, Jefferson was better too.

The Dragons (26-1) advanced to Saturday's Class 5A-Region 3 final with a convincing 59-49 victory against Clearwater (27-3) Tuesday night.

"This sends a message to the rest of the state," Mosca said. "This sends a message, whatever that message is. Nobody gave us a chance. Everybody said Clearwater would win. I told the kids if they win, they'd make a believer out of me and they did."

Less than a week after winning the first girls basketball playoff game in school history, the Dragons atoned for last year's first-round loss to Clearwater.

Down by as many as seven points early in the second quarter, Jefferson battled back and tied the game at 15 when sophomore center Bene'e Glanton hit a 3-pointer. Later in the quarter, junior guard Jade Givens gave the Dragons the lead for the first time with a 3-pointer. Jefferson ended the first half with a 19-5 run to take a 27-20 lead.

Jefferson began the third quarter much like the first with a flurry of turnovers, which lead to Clearwater tying the game at 36 when Veronica Ryan hit a 3-pointer. But the Dragons held on and then went on a 9-1 run in the fourth quarter to increase their lead by as much as 12 with less than two minutes remaining in the game.

Freshman center Shayla Wilson led the Dragons with 21 points. Freshman guard Shayla Upshaw came off the bench to contribute 12 points. Ryan led the Tornadoes with 21 points.

Katherine Smith

Crusaders Maintain Hold Over SPC

For the fourth time this season Tampa Catholic and St. Petersburg Catholic engaged in a closely contested girls basketball game.

And just like the three previous meetings, the Crusaders were the ones wearing the smiles afterward. This time, TC defeated the Barons 60-54 in a Class 3A-Region 3 semifinal.

TC (27-2), which has won nine consecutive games and 23 of its past 24, will host Melbourne Central Catholic in Saturday's region championship.

Sarah Brennan led the Crusaders with 21 points, while Colette Eule added 15. Jerica Coley paced SPC (21-7) with a game-high 23 points.

"St. Pete Catholic has one very good player," TC coach Nancy Kroll said. "We have many weapons we can rely on. We're not one-dimensional."

The Crusaders looked like they would buck the trend of close games with SPC when they had a 43-31 lead with 2:45 left in the third quarter.

But the Barons bridged the third and fourth quarters with a 17-4 run to go up 48-47 with 5:40 remaining.

After trading baskets, the Crusaders took control of the game by scoring eight straight points to go up 57-50 with less than two minutes remaining.

Greg Becnel

Sarasota Ends Sickles' Season

Playing without a player older than a sophomore, Sarasota defeated host Sickles, 55-47, in the Class 6A-Region 2 semifinals.

The Sailors (20-6) never trailed and had some help from the Gryphons, who lost star center Amber Henson after she took her third foul midway through the first quarter. Sickles (20-7) was forced to play zone and Sarasota shot over it, keeping the Gryphons at bay.

Sarasota was able to take advantage of Henson's foul troubles and ran to a 15-8 lead, mostly by driving through the Sickles defense, which struggled without Henson inside.

Sarasota led 26-20 at the half, but Henson came back in the third quarter. Playing tentatively, she ended up with 14 points as the Gryphons were able to keep it close. After Sarasota took a 46-37 lead midway through the fourth quarter, Sickles went on a roll and cut it to 48-45 with two minutes to go after Henson scored eight points in less than two minutes.

Jeff Berlinicke

Mills Leads Wesley Chapel To Victory

A strong dose of Wesley Chapel center Janelle Mills mixed in with some stout defense was a solid concoction as the visiting Wildcats took over in the fourth quarter to break a tie, winning a Class 5A-Region 2 semifinal over Tampa Bay Tech 43-34.

Mills, Wesley Chapel's star center, often dominates the paint, but Tuesday she proved she could play a little point guard, too. It was her guard-like play early in the fourth proved to be the play of the game.

Mills scored early in the fourth for a 32-30 Wildcats lead. On the next possession down the floor, Mills missed a shot as it was partially blocked and also missed the rebound. While all but she and the Titans forward she guarded were already downcourt, Mills stole the ball, dribbled around the defender and scored on a layup for a 34-30 lead.

"When she brought the ball down I thought that was my opportunity to get the ball and go to the basket," Mills said of the play. "As little as I am I tried to out-muscle her for the layup. I want to show I am a defensive player too; not all offense."

Lee Diekemper

Wasser's Effort Can't Advance Terps

FORT MEADE - Ayala Wasser scored 23 points for Tampa Prep, but her effort went unrewarded as Fort Meade (16-10) defeated the Terrapins, 63-52, in the Class 1A-Region 3 semifinals.

Fort Meade's Bette Morris led three players in scoring with 15, Akaycha Robinson scored 14 while racking up 14 rebounds, and Essence Davis also had 14 points and seven assists.

The Terrapins (17-11) cut the Miners' lead down to nine with 1:35 left in the game, but then Morris was found by Davis wide open under the basket to put the Terrapins on ice.

Latora Lofgren scored 11 points for Tampa Prep and Becca Gwyn had six.

Blake Hasenzahl

Muenter's Basket Lifts Cambridge

Girls from Cambridge and Seffner Christian ran up and down the floor, as the basketball bounced and ricocheted all over the place and the final seconds of the Class 1A-Region 3 semifinal tick, tick, ticked down.

The score was tied.

All of the sudden Cambridge forward Olivia Muenter found herself under the basket with the ball in her hands. She shot. And missed.

The ball bounced back to her and she said she thought, "Just take half a second, focus and shoot."

She did and in the ball went in.

The 150 fans at Cambridge roared. The final seconds ticked off. The fans roared louder.

Final score: Cambridge 36, Seffner Christian 34.

"When I made that second shot I looked up and saw there was really no time left," Muenter said. "I said to myself, 'My gosh, I think I just made the winning shot.'"

The shot that propelled the Lancers (14-10) into Saturday's region final.

Scott Purks

Boca Ciega Edges Into Region Final

BRADENTON - A 12-point fourth-quarter lead should have been safe. Yet, Boca Ciega had to sweat it out until the very end Tuesday against Bradenton Southeast in their Class 5A-Region 3 semifinal.

The host Seminoles closed the gap to four points with 51.5 seconds remaining, but the Pirates prevailed 70-62 by hitting all four of their free throws in the final 20 seconds. It also helped that with three players sporting four fouls the Seminoles (27-3) were reluctant to put Boca Ciega on the line and let 30 seconds run off the clock in the last minute.

The Pirates (27-3) are now one step away from making a return trip to the state semifinals. It has been the team's goal ever since a humbling 33-point loss last year to Winter Haven.

"It was disappointing to make the state semifinals and get blown out," said Latavia Dempsey, who tied teammate Tory Stephens with a game-high 25 points Tuesday.

Anthony Gagliano

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