PHS evens score with Kowgirls

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PHS evens score with Kowgirls

Sports

Wednesday, 14 December 2011 13:04

News-Gazette Photo/Andrew Sullivan

Brandii Walker (left) shoots a layup over Osceola’s Jhovan Diaz during Poinciana’s first meeting with Osceola in November.

Johnson’s 20 leads Eagles; Horns are perfect

Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
Poinciana’s 55-47 girls basketball victory over Osceola Monday left the teams dead even in the district race midway through the season.
Kadesia Johnson’s 20 points and 13 more from Brandii Walker paced Poinciana, 9-4 overall and 5-1 in 7A District 5, over the rival Kowgirls, 9-3 and 5-1.
Unlike the teams’ first meeting of the season at OHS Nov. 17, which evolved into a high-scoring 83-73 shootout, this time the offenses were relatively quiet, especially Osceola’s. The Kowgirls trailed 26-16 at the half.

“Give Poinciana credit. They had a good offensive and defensive scheme against us,” Osceola Coach Barner Cooks, who can earn his 200th career coaching victory today at East Ridge, said.
Osceola led, 16-10, in the second quarter before turning frigid for the last six minutes of the half while Poinciana reeled off 16 straight points behind the shooting of Johnson, Walker, Gerri Navarro (7) and Majdah Barnett (4).
Osceola played most of the first half without offensive spark plug Janaye Johnson, the team’s point guard, saddled with early fouls and a sore ankle.
“She’s not quite herself, but no excuses. Poinciana played well, they deserved it,” Cooks said.
Poinciana Coach Jamerson Jones said his team remains a work in progress.
“I don’t know how good we are. We still didn’t execute. We missed too many layups. I had 17 misses in the first half, and I don’t even know about the second half,” he said.
A huge difference between Monday’s game and the earlier meeting between the teams was that Johnson, Walker and the other PHS starters were still on the floor in the fourth quarter. All fouled out or were injured in November.
That helped the Eagles stymie an OHS rally that saw Poinciana’s lead dwindle from 16 points to five, 48-43, midway through the final period before Johnson, Navarro and Tralone Tisdale (6) scored to rebuild the lead.
Chanel Chillers and Janaye Johnson, who scored all nine of her points in the second half, led OHS.
Tiebreakers will decide the No. 1 seed at the district tournament should each team win the rest of its district games.
Osceola, based on its victory in November, holds the edge in the Orange Belt Conference race. Only the first game between conference foes counts in the standings.
Jones said he will have a better handle on where his team stands after the holiday break.
“We’re playing in the Dr. Phillips tournament. Big time competition,” he said. “Ask me after that.”
The Eagles lost to Indian Rocks Christian Tuesday, 56-44. Kadesia Johnson scored 20.
Around the county: Gateway remains a 7A-5 darkhorse after playing Osceola close at the Panthers gym last week. Gateway is 5-6 overall, but 4-2 in the district, and on pace for a possible No. 3 seed at the tournament.
“We are getting better as the season goes along,” Coach Steve Robertson said.
The Lady Panthers travel to Lake Minneola today in the district.
St. Cloud Coach Chad Ansbaugh said his team continues to improve.
“Three of our losses are by a combined seven points,” he said. “We have to get better against the county’s elite teams.”
The Lady Bulldogs, 6-5, were 1-1 in 7A District 6 after a 49-32 win over Oak Ridge Tuesday. St. Cloud hosts unbeaten Harmony, 7-0 and 1-0, in the district today at 7:30 p.m.
The Lady Longhorns blitzed Celebration, 58-32 Tuesday as Marie Gilbert scored 19. Julia Ingler added 15 for the Longhorns.
St. Cloud hosts its Holiday Invitational Tuesday at the Bulldog gym. Orange City University meets Cocoa at 5 p.m., and St. Petersburg Canterbury plays St. Cloud at 6:30 p.m. The winners meet for the championship Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
Celebration, 8-4, hosts 7A-6 district rival Oak Ridge today and Osceola Friday, both at 7 p.m.
Coach Robert Mouchet said the team has played well, but it will be without two starters the rest of the season. Teesha Montoya suffered a knee injury, and point guard Camila Santos, averaging 14 points, who returns to her native Brazil next week.
Two more starters have been out due to illness or injury, the coach said.
“To say that we are 8-3 (now 8-4), I am pleased,” Mouchet said prior to the game against Harmony.
By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
The Gateway Panthers made a statement Tuesday with a decisive 58-33 boys basketball win against 7A-5 district rival Poinciana at the John Ramirez gym.
Gateway, 5-2 and 4-0 in the district, will host Osceola Friday at 7:30 p.m. for another district test. The Kowboys, 6-1, fell to East Ridge, 66-48, in the district Tuesday.
Felix Gonzalez scored 15 points and Jordan Edmunds added 10 to lead a well-balanced, disciplined Panthers offense that dismantled the Eagles, 5-3.
The Gateway defense held Poinciana’s high-scoring guard, Stefan Moody, to 12 points. Gateway went on a 27-4 run through second and third periods.