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Tampa Prep Falls In State Semifinals

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TBO.com

Published: March 5, 2009

LAKELAND - The emptiness in their eyes was heartbreaking.

The dejection was deep, and the shock too surreal to overcome.

Their season had ended, and all they could do was accept the call made by the officiating crew.

With 0.4 seconds remaining in overtime in the Class 2A boys basketball state semifinals Thursday, West Palm Beach Summit Christian guard Kyle Yong attempted a 3-pointer in front of his team's bench. Tampa Prep senior guard Jake Haslam sprinted to Yong and blocked the shot as he and Yong fell to the floor.

There was a pause, and then the sound of a whistle. Foul on Haslam. Three shots.

Yong made two of the three free throws and the Terrapins couldn't get off a shot as time expired, falling to the Fighting Saints, 58-56.

Summit Christian will play Jacksonville Arlington Country Day, the four-time defending state champion, Saturday at noon.

Tampa Prep coach Joe Fenlon said he didn't believe there was contact on the play.

"I saw contact," he said. "I didn't see Jake make contact, however. Kids watch a lot of ESPN, they watch a lot of TV and they know how to bait fouls. I saw that he Yong did a very good job of hitting Jake's leg as Jake went up."

Yong admitted he tried to intentionally fall into Haslam.

"I thought I got fouled," he said. "I did try to draw contact."

"If you were watching, there was even a delay on the whistle, like it didn't happen immediately," Fenlon said. "Both kids hit the ground, and then the whistle blew, so there was a period of indecision, by many people."

With 10 seconds remaining in overtime, Haslam hit a 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 56.

"After I hit the 3, I thought we were going into another overtime," said Haslam, who finished with seven points before fouling out on the game-deciding play. "The kid got the ball and I closed out faster than I expected and I got a hand up. You can't really change what they call."

Summit Christian scored four points in the final 11/2 minutes of the fourth quarter to send the game into OT.

Junior forward Jay Bowie led the Terrapins (26-5) with 21 points and eight rebounds. Sophomore Jean Prophete led the Fighting Saints (28-4) with 24 points.

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