By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor

Osceola will host the Martin Luther King Shootout girls basketball tournament Saturday at the OHS gym.

The eight-team event begins at noon when Lake Brantley visits Parkway Academy.

Afachkee meets Apopka at 1:30 p.m. and Gateway takes on Melbourne at 3 p.m.

The event wraps up at 4:30 p.m. when Osceola takes on Merritt Island.

Admission is $5, $3 for students. Children under 5 are free.

The Lady Kowboys, 15-6, placed second two weeks ago at the Lady Buffalo Holiday Classic at The Villages.

Osceola downed The Villages, 64-42 and beat Trinity Prep, 65-35, at the tournament. Osceola lost to No. 8 Class 8A DeLand, 72-52.

Montana Bass averaged 18.6 points per game at the tournament and Jasmine Ramos had 17 points and 14 rebounds against The Villages.

Bass (16), Ramos (15), Jhosinorry Diaz (14) and Kiki Francois (10) all were in double figures against Trinity Prep, Coach Barner Cooks said.

“The DeLand game was much closer than the final score indicates. They forced us to foul, and they were 12-for-12 from the free throw line,” he said.

Poinciana, 16-2, and Osceola currently are the top seeds for the 7A-5 district tournament  in two weeks.