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Boca Ciega Eliminates Jefferson

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By KATHERINE SMITH | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 21, 2009

GULFPORT - Boca Ciega's girls basketball team will make its second consecutive trip to the state championships after beating Jefferson 68-51 in the Class 5A-Region 3 final Saturday night.

Led by the strong outside shooting of senior guard Tory Stephens, who had a game-high 30 points, the Pirates (28-3) overcame a slow start to build an insurmountable lead and beat Jefferson (26-2).

"We just had to settle down and set the plays up," Stephens said. "After that, everything fell into place."

The Dragons appeared on their way to another dominating victory when they took advantage of several Boca Ciega turnovers to build a 9-1 lead midway through the first quarter. But the Pirates fought back with a 12-0 run to take the lead at the end of the quarter.

Stephens scored 19 of her 30 points in the first half, including eight in the second quarter during a 17-7 run that gave the Pirates a 36-24 halftime lead. Boca Ciega increased its lead to 14 in the third quarter with help from junior guard Latavia Dempsey, who scored eight of her 14 points in that quarter.

Stephens gave the Pirates a 16-point lead early in the fourth quarter when she hit her fifth 3-pointer of the night. Jefferson cut the lead to 11 with a 5-0 run with about three minutes remaining, but that was as close as it would get down the stretch.

Bene'e Glanton and Shayla Wilson led the Dragons with 11 points each.

"They beat us with what they've done all year long, 3-pointers," Jefferson coach Tom Mosca said. "We knew we had to stop it, but by the same token, look at our shooting. We didn't shoot the ball well. We had shots, but we didn't knock them down and they did. And that was basically the difference."

The Pirates will face Nova in the state semifinals on Wednesday at The Lakeland Center. Last year, Boca Ciega lost in the semis to Winter Haven, 73-40.

"It feels good cause it's the same thing as last year," Stephens said. "But we need to get past the semis. Then we can say we're feeling real good."

Reporter Katherine Smith can be reached at (813) 259-7860.

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