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Haslam Wants To Atone For Miss

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By NICK WILLIAMS

nwilliams@tampatrib.com

Published: March 4, 2009

TAMPA - With every win that brought his team closer to playing in the boys basketball state tournament, Tampa Prep senior guard Jake Haslam thought more and more about the one moment in his prep career he wish he could do all over again.

In the 2007 state semifinals against Port St. Joe, Haslam, then a sophomore, was given a chance to put the Terrapins in the state title game. With 14 seconds remaining in regulation, Tampa Prep had a chance to break a 56-56 tie when Haslam went to the line, but he missed both attempts. Before missing the two free throws, he was four of four from 3-point range.

On Thursday at 10 a.m., Haslam and Tampa Prep will face West Palm Beach Summit Christian in the Class 2A state semifinals. It will be Haslam's and Prep's second state tournament appearance in three years.

"I felt like if I had made those two free throws, we would have won," Haslam said.

"I've been playing it in my mind every day the past few weeks."

Thursday, Haslam wants to be the clutch shooter.

"I'm very confident this time," he said. "I shot over 1,000 free throws in the summer. When stuff like that happens, it makes you want to work harder."

"He may have to get on that free-throw line and take that big shot this time," Tampa Prep coach Joe Fenlon said.

The 6-foot-5 senior is the third-leading scorer for Tampa Prep with 10.7 points per game and is shooting 70 percent from the free-throw line. A few weeks ago, Prep's best perimeter shooter surpassed the career 1,000-point milestone.

"This is our second time around and I can redeem myself and hopefully win it," Haslam said.

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