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Lake Howell Ousts Wesley Chapel

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By LEE DIEKEMPER

Tribune correspondent

Published: February 21, 2009

WESLEY CHAPEL - In recent postseason games, Wesley Chapel High's girls basketball squad has been dominant in the fourth quarter.

Saturday against Lake Howell, the tables were turned on the Wildcats.

Lake Howell played a good version of keep-away with some solid defense, also taking advantage of Wesley Chapel's sudden frostbite in the final eight minutes to pull away with a decisive 52-28 victory in the Class 5A-Region 2 final. The win advances the Silver Hawks to the state semifinals.

Wesley Chapel coach Karim Nohra had feared Lake Howell's running attack and hoped to keep the game slow in order for the Wildcats, at worst, to be within striking distance late. His strategy seemed to be working when Janelle Mills' bucket with 1:02 left in the third pulled Wesley Chapel within eight at 34-26.

Little did Nohra or any of the Wildcats realize that would be their next-to-last basket of the night. Nearly nine minutes passed - more than a full quarter - before Wesley Chapel hit another basket. By that time, the game was all but over.

"We just went cold," Mills said.

Lake Howell wisely used a prevent offense-type of ball handling - not a four corners - to start the fourth quarter, as the Silver Hawks worked the ball around the perimeter seemingly without any desire to shoot. In the process, Lake Howell whittled two precious minutes off the clock.

"I didn't have any problem with that," Nohra said. "We wanted to slow the game down. We didn't want to run with them. They are a running team and when playing a good team like that which runs, you have two choices: run and get blown out or slow the game down and stay in the game."

"We definitely were trying to stop the ball and slow down the game," Mills said. "To get the game down to more of our level, we had to limit their shots."

Impressed with how patient Wesley Chapel's defense was, Lake Howell coach Andy Sarasty questioned waiting to slow the game down.

"We should have done that earlier," Sarasty said.

The game also realized Nohra's worst fears. He noted that unless Mills and Shantel Houston had some help offensively, the Wildcats were doomed. Nohra hoped to have four players in double figures. Only Mills did so with 12.

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