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Playoff Basketball Roundup: Henson Powers Sickles' Victory

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A Tribune staff report

Published: February 20, 2009

TAMPA - John Henson, the 6-foot-10 center from Sickles High, made his presence known - all over the box score - when the Gryphons pounded Sarasota Riverview 66-40 in Thursday night's Class 6A-Region 2 quarterfinals.

Henson, the McDonald's All-American and North Carolina-bound senior, had 21 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, four blocked shots and four dunks as Tar Heels assistant coach Steve Robinson watched from the stands.

But Sickles coach Renaldo Garcia was more impressed with another statistic: zero.

As in zero Sickles turnovers during the first half, when the Gryphons (24-4) rapidly built a double-digit lead they wouldn't lose.

"That's a credit to the way our point guard Jordan Davis runs the team and it's probably a first for us," Garcia said.

Now Sickles, winner of 14 straight games, seeks another first. Two victories away from the state final four, the No. 5-ranked Gryphons travel to No. 6 Lakeland for Tuesday night's region semifinals. In 11 previous seasons of basketball, Sickles has never reached the region final.

"They've got a great chance to keep going," Rams coach James Ward said. "The big guy Henson is one heck of a player. We brought out the best in them tonight. And we didn't help our cause at all."

The Rams (25-6) missed 11 of their first 12 shot attempts. Meanwhile, the offensive firepower of Henson, Nico Cora (15 points) and Rashawn Rembert (eight points, including back-to-back 3-pointers early in the second quarter) put it away early for Sickles.

Joey Johnston

Lakeland Routs St. Petersburg

LAKELAND - Quinton Everett scored 30 points to lead sixth-ranked Lakeland to a 76-58 win over St. Petersburg in Class 6A-Region 2.

Everett scored 24 of Lakeland's 40 first-half points. Lakeland (23-3) led 40-25 at the half.

St. Petersburg (20-7) pulled within 42-33 early in the third, but Lakeland extended it back to 54-38 after three periods.

Gabriel Moton led St. Petersburg with 17 points.

Richie Edwards scored 15 points for Lakeland.

Lakeland Ledger

Haslam Reaches Milestone In Win

Everything went as expected for Tampa Prep in the Class 2A-Region 3 quarterfinals, which basically meant two things: The Terrapins defeated Santa Fe Catholic 72-28, and Jake Haslam went over the 1,000-point mark for his career.

"It definitely was a nice night because we won, but it was a great night because Jake Haslam reached that milestone," Tampa Prep coach Joe Fenlon said. "I told the team that it's a good sign that a program is good when they have a player score 1,000 points in a career."

A sentiment Haslam upon which expounded: "I could have never done this if I hadn't played with great teams. So I have to give a lot of credit to all my teammates."

Haslam, a starter for three of his four years on the varsity team, hit his historic shot midway through the second quarter, a 3-pointer that added to an already huge lead. The Terrapins led 45-17 at halftime and backups were already getting a lot of playing time.

Tampa Prep (24-4) will host Indian Rocks Christian on Tuesday.

"We're not looking ahead to anything other than our next game," Fenlon said. "Now we're focused on Indian Rocks."

Scott Purks

Indian Rocks Tops Fort Meade

FORT MEADE - Isaac McMillen scored 20 points and John Hogan and Tommy McGarry each added 12 as Indian Rocks Christian beat Fort Meade 62-44 in Class 2A-Region 3.

Indian Rocks (18-10) outscored Fort Meade 15-2 in the third quarter to extend an eight-point halftime lead to 53-32 after three quarters.

Brandon Fulse led Fort Meade with 10 points, and Javus Haygood added nine.

Indian Rocks Christian will play at Tampa Prep on Tuesday night at 7.

Lakeland Ledger

Admiral Farragut Rolls To Win

ST. PETERSBURG - Admiral Farragut Academy stung the Naples Seacrest Day School Stingrays 70-37 in Class 2A-Region 3.

"It didn't play out perfect," first-year Farragut coach Shannon Graves said, pointing to early foul trouble. "But we had some kids who stepped up."

Graves pointed to a second-quarter rally by sophomore shooting guard Chance Russell, who scored 15 points and made several key steals.

Russell was high scorer for the Blue Jackets, with 13 of his points coming in the first half, including a nearly half-court field goal at the intermission buzzer.

"Our plan was to move the ball around the key, get it in to our big guys," the 6-foot-2 sophomore explained. "And we got lucky and hit shots."

Teammate Pat LeBranch had 12 points.

"We planned to spread out, swing the ball, dish down low, and if it's not down low, then hit the big shot," the junior forward said. "And just hustle."

Chris Myrick was the other Blue Jackets player in double digits, with 10.

Steve Sims

Brown Unable To Lift Cambridge

LAKELAND - Cameron Brown scored 13 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, but his effort was futile as Cambridge lost to Lakeland Victory Christian 63-53 in Class 1A-Region 3.

Cambridge jumped to an early lead, but its 1-2-2 defense proved pointless. Victory split the lanes and scored 12 of its 26 points in the paint. The Storm led 26-22 at the half and Cambridge battled back to cut the margin to two, but Victory Christian then went on a 12-2 run.

Mitch Chaquette and James Carver each scored 14 points for the Storm, and Nick Morrell added 11.

The key for the Storm was success at the line. They made 19 of 24 foul shots, while the Lancers went 5-for-11.

The Lancers scored 32 points in the paint and shot 4-for-13 from beyond the arc.

Mille Seward led Cambridge with 17 points. Droxon Philips had 10.

Blake Hasenzahl

Buzzer-Beater Dooms Seffner

SEFFNER - Sophomore guard Josie Balentine scored eight points in the final minute - including a buzzer-beating layup - as Lake Wales Vanguard beat Seffner Christian 75-74 in Class 1A-Region 3.

Seffner Christian coach Roger Duncan's plan was to shut down Vanguard's top two scorers, Balentine and center Grant Fiorentinos, early in the game. And it worked, as the Crusaders held the two Panthers to one field goal in the first quarter. However, Duncan didn't count on Panthers forward Andrew Kronsbein lighting it up from behind the line with six 3-pointers in the first half.

"We have to put this one on me," Duncan said. "Our game plan was to focus on their point guard Balentine and their big man Fiorentinos, and Kronsbein comes out and hits six 3-pointers."

The Crusaders (19-8) had five players in double digits, led by Devin Paularinne (17 points) and Steve Cunningham (13), but were hurt by three players fouling out. Seffner had 24 fouls.

Balentine's 12-point fourth quarter contributed to his 24 points. He was 11-for-15 from the line. Kronsbein had 22 points, and Fiorentinos had 18.

Jarrett Guthrie

Canterbury Falls, Looks To Future

ST. PETERSBURG - Canterbury had speed and worked hard, but Bradenton Christian matched that speed and dominated in all other aspects for a 68-28 win in Class 1A-Region 3.

When asked about the game and his outlook on the next season, Canterbury coach Josh Tebbe said, "We have a very young team and it was a very good learning experience."

With the likelihood of two of the division's best teams moving up next year (including Bradenton), Tebbe is optimistic and excited about next season.

Bradenton was led in scoring by junior Jonathan Negrin, who was especially strong from behind the 3-point line, scoring three in the second quarter.

Greg Jenssen

Citrus Park Struggles In Loss

SARASOTA - Sarasota Christian can burn an opponent by running the fast break, scoring in the paint or stroking it from long range, and the Blazers were hitting on all cylinders in an 83-35 win over Citrus Park Christian in Class 1A-Region 3.

Sarasota Christian (23-5) jumped to a 21-1 lead in the first five minutes and led by as many as 53 points in a game that had a running clock throughout the second half.

"We don't compete against anyone out there. We compete against ourselves," Sarasota Christian coach Phil Helmuth said. "It's the state tournament, and there's no letting up."

Sarasota Christian employed a tenacious half-court trap to force 20 Citrus Park turnovers and limit the Eagles (13-14) to only five field goals in the first half.

Chris Dell

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