By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

The Osceola Kowgirls reached the finals of their Thanksgiving basketball tournament last week before losing the championship game in the final seconds against Lake Highland Prep, 65-62.

Still, OHS Coach Barner Cooks was pleased with the effort of his team and the fact that two Osceola players, Jenaye Johnson and Madison Bass earned spots on the all-tournament team along with Lake Highland Prep’s Karrah Johnson, Erin Deery, Jordan Lewis and MVP Destinee Walker.

The Highlanders hit a pair of free throws in the final 10 seconds to ice the victory.

Johnson had 19 points and Bass added 12 in the championship game, while Iyanna Pryce had a season-high 12 rebounds.

“We were 6 for 19 in free throws. We actually made eight more field goals than Lake Highland Prep, but lost by three points,” Cooks said. “Lake Highland Prep is an extremely good ball club with good coaching. I think we did not capitalize on a few positions, and that was the difference in the game.”

The Highlanders hit 24-of-30 free throws.

The Kowgirls reached the championship game by beating St. Cloud, 69-43, as Johnson scored 17. Astaja Tyghtner had 16 for the Lady Bulldogs. The game counted in the Orange Belt Conference standings, where OHS is 2-0.

Osceola topped Cypress Creek, 72-44, in the semifinals, led by Pryce’s 14 points.

Osceola (5-2) beat East Ridge, 56-31, in District 7A-5 Monday. The team lost to Melbourne Central Catholic, 56-42, Tuesday.

St. Cloud Coach Chad Ansbaugh was encouraged by his team’s play at the OHS tournament, where it beat Gateway, 41-37, Saturday to avenge an earlier defeat. Alyssa Mediavilla had 12 for St. Cloud. Maya Nelson led Gateway with 12. The Bulldogs played without two starters.

"We are getting better. Our program goal is to get to a point where we are competitive with all the county teams. We are not there yet. We have not had a winning record in several years, and our team goal is to end that streak this year," Ansbaugh said.

Ansbaugh said Mediavilla is becoming a senior leader, and Tyghtner, a freshman, may develop into one of the county’s top players.

Gateway lost a heart-breaker to Freedom, 57-56, in the first round of the OHS tournament. Tiffany Charneco had 24 for the Panthers. The Panthers crushed Lake Minneola, 58-18, Monday in a 7A-5 district game.

Liberty, after a first-round loss to Cypress Creek, beat St. Cloud in the second round, 40-36. Kelila Naules had 15 against Cypress Creek.

The Lady Chargers, 2-4, lost to Poinciana, 64-24, Monday in 7A-5 action.