Boys basketball: Robinson wins region quarterfinal

The Robinson High boys basketball team traveled across the bay Thursday night to Lakewood and then took control from start to finish for a 92-77 Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinal victory.

Tre Leonard led the way with 26 points, followed by Cody Brown with 19, Reggie Henderson with 15 and Justin Madison and Travis Forehand with 12 apiece.

"Lakewood is a tough, physical team and we knew had to match their toughness and physical play, and we did," Robinson coach Steve Smith said. "We did a great job of keeping (Lakewood) off the glass. That was a big key."

Lakewood (17-7) cut the gap to eight points in the third quarter, but could never get closer.

Tribune staff

8A-2: Wharton loses heartbreaker

Wharton battled back three times in the second half, but dropped a one-point Class 8A-Region 2 quarterfinal heartbreaker to East Lake, 64-63, after a 3-point display from brothers Jeremy and Kyle Mogged.

It was the first state playoff basketball victory for East Lake (16-8). Junior CJ McGill led Wharton with 23 points.

The Wildcats (24-4) cut an eight-point halftime deficit to just a field goal at the end of the third behind six points each from Sir Patrick Reynolds and McGill. Wharton took two fourth quarter leads, including one on McGill's fifth 3-pointer with just 38 seconds left. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, a last-second shot from Jaken Grier and a Patrick Hauri tip both rolled off the rim as time ran out.

Eagles senior Jeremy Mogged hit six 3-pointers and was 5 for 5 from the free-throw line to lead all scorers with 25 points, while sophomore Kyle Mogged (three 3-pointers) and Blake Grimm added 11 points apiece.

Jarrett Guthrie

8A-2: Plant's season ends

Plant finished the first quarter of its Class 8A-Region 2 quarterfinal with 21 points and a three-point lead, but struggled against Sarasota Riverview's defense the rest of the night before losing, 55-49.

Over the final three quarters, the Panthers scored only 10, eight and 10 points, respectively.

Plant (20-6) was led by Sam Powers, who finished with 12 points on four 3-pointers.

Tribune staff

7A-2: Ridge stops East Bay

GIBSONTON Junior Terry Rose scored 38 points as Davenport Ridge defeated East Bay, 87-64, in a Class 7A-Region 2 quarterfinal.

Ridge outscored the Indians, 14-2, toward the end of the first quarter to open a close game. Rose, who had 13 points in the first quarter, added another eight in the second as the Bolts took a 48-24 lead at the half.

Dazeran Jones added 16 for Ridge.

East Bay was led by Kieran Pettus with 18 points, Justin Green added 17, and Dario Duque came off the bench with 12.

Barry Carroll

7A-2: TBT loses lead, game

Tampa Bay Tech had a 15-point first-half lead, but couldn't hold on down the stretch, losing at Lakeland, 68-58, in front of a raucous Dreadnaughts' crowd.

"We executed our game plan for the first half but we didn't continue executing for the whole game," TBT coach Adrian Johnson said. "(Lakeland) grabbed the momentum in the second half and we got mentally out of it."

Nick Felder led the Titans (17-10) with 18 points, followed by Adrian Johnson and Ryan Cummings with 11 apiece.

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7A-3: Seminole rallies past Chamberlain

Down by seven at the half, Seminole coach Joshua Walker told his players during the intermission if they could keep the deficit in single digits, there was a chance to win.

He was right.

The Warhawks, down by nine heading into the final quarter, took the lead with 2:03 remaining and held on to down host Chamberlain, 57-52, in the Class 7A-Region 3 quarterfinals.

It was the first region victory for Seminole (17-9) in five appearances.

"We knew we had to just stay with the offense, stay patient, don't rush and avoid chaotic situations," Walker said. "We've been down numerous times this season."

The Chiefs (16-8) took a 31-24 halftime lead and led by as many as 15 in the third quarter. But Justin Hollis hit two 3-point baskets to end the third and cut the Chamberlain lead to 44-38.

Hollis, who finished with five 3s and 21 total points, hit another 3-pointer to start the final period and with 2:03 remaining, the Warhawks had gone on a 26-11 run and took the lead, 53-51.

"Justin's been our go-to man," Walker said. "He's battled injuries all year with an ankle sprain – sat out the first half. Suffered another one last week and played (Thursday) with it. He really showed his grit."

The final two minutes was spent at the foul line as Seminole converted 4 of 6 while the Chiefs were 1 of 4.

Reggie Hart led Chamberlain with 21 points. Seminole's Noah Weller added 19.

Rick Harmon

7A-3: St. Pete stops Wiregrass Ranch

The high-octane offense from Wiregrass Ranch struggled a bit in its final game of the season, losing, 77-50, to St. Petersburg in a Class 7A-Region 3 quarterfinal.

Wiregrass, which averaged 77 points a game through the regular season, trailed, 21-12, after the first quarter and 41-22 at halftime.

Rico Kerney led the Bulls (17-11) with 16 points.

Tribune staff

6A-3: Sickles rolls

Sickles dominated play on both ends of the court and came away with a 57-32 victory against Bradenton Lakewood Ranch in a Class 6A-Region 3 quarterfinal.

Malcolm Johnson led Sickles with 18 points, Eric Floyd scored 12 and Raymond Santiago added 10 points for the winners. Johnson had a game-high nine rebounds and Santiago was 2 for 2 from 3-point range.

Brian Cobb scored 13 points for Lakewood Ranch which trailed, 11-6, after the first quarter before Sickles (22-6) outscored the Mustangs, 18-5, in the second quarter to take a 29-11 halftime lead.

"We've been talking to (Johnson) all week long about attacking at the right time," Sickles coach Renaldo Garcia said. "He picked his spots. We have some young kids playing in spots they haven't faced before. I'm definitely proud of them."

Johnson was 5 for 8 from the field and scored 10 points in the third quarter as Sickles led, 47-18, after three.

Sickles was 24 for 52 (46.1 percent) and Lakewood Ranch went 12 for 40 (30 percent) from the field. The Gryphons had a 35-15 rebound advantage over the Mustangs.

Don Trello

6A-3: Channer shines in Strawberry Crest loss

In the last game of his high school career, Strawberry Crest guard Brandon Channer had arguably his best individual game, scoring 29 points and grabbing 20 rebounds. Unfortunately for the Chargers, it wasn't enough as they lost to Palmetto, 56-53, in a Class 6A-Region 3 quarterfinal.

Strawberry Crest (17-11) led by 15 in the first half, before Palmetto's young, athletic team found its shooting touch. With 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Palmetto finally took the lead, which it traded back and forth with the Chargers until the final minutes.

"I have to give credit to the way we fought right to the end," Strawberry Crest coach Andre Lewis said. "We gave it everything we had."

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6A-3: Cannon, McClendon key Land O' Lakes

Jackson Cannon scored 14 points and Ernest McClendon added 13 as Land O' Lakes defeated Lakeland Lake Gibson, 53-30, in the Class 6A-3 quarterfinals for the Gators' first region victory in program history.

The Gators (22-6) used a stifling defense against the Braves (11-15), holding them to just 10 first-half points.

"Exactly! Who says there's no defense in basketball anymore?" Gators coach Dave Puhalski said with a laugh. "But it was a total team effort on defense, not just one guy. We have a special group of guys, all of them who played team defense well tonight."

Lake Gibson played impressive defense early, too, but Land O' Lakes scored 18 points in both third and fourth quarters.

Mike Camunas

6A-3: Winter Haven routs Mitchell

It was a bittersweet end to Mitchell's season, as the Mustangs ran into state power Winter Haven and were routed, 71-29, in a Class 6A-Region 3 quarterfinal.

"They just got out and ran on us," Mitchell coach Jared St. Charles said. "We never got into our flow. Whenever Jake (Driscoll) got the ball, they double-teamed him and made him pass it out. We got 20 wins this season and we're very proud of that. We had a very successful season."

Winter Haven only held a 16-10 lead after the first quarter. But by halftime, Mitchell was trailing, 41-17.

Jordan Dong led Mitchell with 14 points.

Tribune staff

5A-2: Hudson defeats Eustis

HUDSON Hudson used a stingy defense and strong 3-point shooting to knock off Eustis, 52-44, in a Class 5A-Region 2 quarterfinal matchup.

"I don't think we've seen the half-court trap all year," Vetter said. "Jamal (Branco) is usually our leading scorer and they double-teamed him and took him away. It took us awhile to get into our offense because of that. These other guys played so, so well tonight."

Despite Branco being held to six points, Hudson had other players ready to step into the spotlight, as the Cobras' made seven 3-pointers and forced the Panthers into 18 turnovers. The Cobras (19-10) started off the first quarter shaky, but ended the period with a 10-8 lead.

Hudson took a 40-35 lead into the fourth quarter and forward Andrew Disanto (11 points) proved to be the unsung hero, playing fearlessly under the basket against a taller Eustis frontcourt. Dustin Dunham led the Panthers (23-5) with 13 points.

Andy Villamarzo

5A-2: Bergantino powers Nature Coast

Wesley Chapel head coach Doug Greseth knew his Wildcats would have few answers for Brooksville Nature Coast's 6-foot-9 center Tyler Bergantino.

The UMass-bound senior lived up his reputation in lifting the host Sharks to a 68-53 Class 5A-Region 2 quarterfinal victory.

Bergantino had 32 points, 14 rebounds and six blocks. He had 10 points, seven boards and two blocks in the first quarter, leading Nature Coast (25-1) to a 17-3 advantage.

Meanwhile, Wesley Chapel (24-5) star forward Erik Thomas was held without a field goal for the entire first half, though he did finish with 15 points, 12 rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Sasha Mentor paced the Wildcats with 16 points.

"We got off to a terrible start," Greseth said. "We had good shots; we just didn't make any shots. And when you fall behind like that on the road against a team like this, it's very difficult."

Chris Bernhardt Jr.

5A-3: Fleming scores 29 to pace Jesuit

Jesuit won its 15th straight game with an 85-66 rout of Boca Ciega in the Class 5A-Region 3 quarterfinals. The Tigers went 4-for-5 from the 3-point mark in the first quarter and rolled from there.

The Tigers (26-1) haven't lost a game outside the state of Florida and were led by Jack Fleming's 29 points. Travis Johnson chipped in 21 points and Joey Galvis and Devin Harris combined for another 26. The Tigers were never threatened after taking a 26-14 lead at the end of the first quarter.

Jesuit was 30 for 49 from the field and hit 10 for 17 from the 3-point line for the game.

"We played very athletic tonight,'' Jesuit coach Neal Goldman said. "Jack Fleming was at his best and we rebounded and did everything we had to do.''

Jeff Berlinicke

4A-3: Berkeley overcomes slow start

All it took for Berkeley Prep was a scare. Trailing Arcadia DeSoto County by five points after one quarter was what Buccaneers coach Bobby Reinhart called a wakeup call.

Berkeley Prep proceeded to rout DeSoto County, 82-49, in a Class 4A-Region 3 quarterfinal.

Though he has only been back a few short weeks recovering from an injury he received in the football playoffs, Nelson Agholor led the squad with 24 points as the Bucs used a frantic fast-pace style to race past the Bulldogs.

"I can't remember how long I have been out but I'm glad to be playing with such a great group of players," Agholor said, hinting he is not in complete basketball shape yet.

"I wish I could have played in those games."

Lee Diekemper

3A-2: Defense keys Tampa Prep

Tampa Prep had one of its best defensive performances of the season in a 70-22 Class 3A-Region 2 quarterfinal victory against Lakeland Christian.

The Terrapins took a 22-6 lead by way of an aggressive full-court press, and by halftime, Tampa Prep led by 22 points. The second half was much of the same as Tampa Prep allowed just six points.

Senior Devontae Morgan, Tampa Prep's leading scorer for the season, led both teams with 17 points and had seven rebounds. Teammate Josh Heath contributed 14 points and nine assists and junior Adonis Rqabigwi chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds.

Tribune staff

3A-2: Seffner Christian eliminated

Corey Sanders led all scorers with 23 points in the Class 3A-Region quarterfinal, lifting Lakeland McKeel to a 64-60 victory against Seffner Christian.

The freshman point guard scored all of his points in the second half and nine of Lakeland McKeel's 12 in the fourth quarter. A layup by Sanders off a turnover with 1:20 left in the game gave the Wildcats a 61-60 lead.

Sanders' teammate, Dwayne Bacon, scored 16 points, but he had to sit most of the fourth quarter after picking up a fourth foul.

Seffner Christian's Kent Hegarty, Barrett Swartz and Jordan Parker combined for 49 points.

Tribune staff

2A-2: Academy at the Lakes wins first region game

Academy at the Lakes' first region playoff game in school history was a successful one as the Wildcats advanced to the region semifinals with a 49-48 victory against Lake Wales Vanguard.

Sophomore Evan Gordy led Academy at the Lakes (16-9) on an 8-0 fourth quarter run to give the Wildcats the lead for good.

Vanguard (16-3) had two players in double-figures while the Wildcats were led by junior Abaz Igwe, who scored 13 of his game-high 15 points in the third quarter. Freshman Ethan Haslam added 11 and Gordy had 10.

Tribune staff

2A-2: Cambridge falls at buzzer

TAMPA Andy Moates hit the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired to lift Winter Haven All Saints' to a 56-55 Class 2A-Region 2 quarterfinal victory against Cambridge Christian.

Moates led all scorers with 25 points, while Reggie Evans added 19.

The Saints had a 14-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but Cambridge's full-court press forced several turnovers, enabling the Lancers to close the gap. With 7 seconds remaining, Cambridge junior point guard Brandon Park gave his team a two-point lead after making a free throw for a three-point play.

Tribune staff