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Gainesville Ends King's Season

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By NICK WILLIAMS

nwilliams@tampatrib.com

Published: March 5, 2009

Updated: 03/05/2009 12:55 am

LAKELAND - The shots that were falling during their 21-game win streak continuously fell short, and the suffocating defense that once intimated opposing teams was too easily dismantled.

In the Class 5A boys basketball state semifinals at The Lakeland Center on Wednesday night, King's dream season came to an end, losing to top-ranked Gainesville, 62-48.

Gainesville will face Clearwater, a 44-43 victor against Palm Beach Gardens Dwyer in the other 5A semifinal.

"I told the guys after the game that I love my team," King coach Sam Lanier said. "I think my team has had an outstanding year. We're disappointed in the way we played, especially in the first half. Gainesville is an excellent basketball team and I thought my guys gave a great effort throughout the game, but we made some mistakes."

King turned the ball over 20 times and didn't close within single digits for the final three quarters. The Lions closed the gap to 11 with 7:34 left in the fourth quarter when a jumper by sophomore Chauncey Day cut Gainesville's lead to 49-38. Within two minutes, however, the Hurricanes went on a 5-0 run and King's star player, 6-foot-7 forward Toarlyn Fitzpatrick, had fouled out.

"We had dug ourselves such a big hole that it was tough to come back from," Lanier said.

"We played team ball like we wanted to, but we just didn't play hard enough," said junior guard Rethell Oliver. "We didn't want it as bad as those boys did."

Day led the Lions (23-7) with 16 points while Oliver added 15 points. In his final high school game, Fitzpatrick finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks. Fitzpatrick ends his career with 2,024 points and will play for Georgia Southern next season.

"I don't want to say that you can't win them all, because with this team I thought anything was possible," Fitzpatrick said. "To win 21 games in a row and overcoming the adversity that we faced in the beginning of the season, then to come this far was an amazing feeling, like being on top of the world."

Senior guard Greg Gantt led Gainesville (28-3) with 33 points.

This season resulted in the program's first trip to the state tournament.

"This team is going to be remembered for a long time," Fitzpatrick said.

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