Girls basketball squads seek 1st district crowns

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Girls basketball squads seek 1st district crowns

Sports

Friday, 29 January 2010 08:40

By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer
The book on Gateway, Poinciana and Harmony’s girls basketball playoff fortunes reads more like a pamphlet.
The three programs have combined for three regional berths; Gateway has none. But, those three teams have a message for the record book keepers:
Go grab a pen.
Each school is seeded first or second in their district tournaments next week, with an eye on being around for the regional quarterfinals on Feb. 11.
The Panthers have carved many new niches this season, led by seniors Helen Collazo, Miriam Ruiz and Carla Garcia.
Garcia and junior center Jovana Smith each scored 14 points Wednesday in a 47-29 win over Liberty that clinched Gateway (12-9) its first-ever winning season. The Panthers, whose previous best was 12-12 in 2004-05, closed the regular season Friday night against Celebration.
Gateway is the No. 2 seed in the 6A District 6 tournament at Vero Beach, thanks to a 3-1 district record, which followed a slow start to the season.
The Panthers were 0-4, and trailed Poinciana by 14 points in the second half on Dec. 7. But, behind Garcia, who hit a three-pointer to tie it with less than two minutes left, and Collazo, who hit four free throws in crunch time, the Panthers rallied to win 51-49, the start of a stretch that saw them win six of seven.
“You could see during that comeback that things finally started to click, a light bulb went on from somewhere I guess,” GHS Coach Steve Robertson said. “I told them at the start, everything is just preparation for the district tournament, so they didn’t get discouraged early on, and we were competitive in all those games early.”
A 49-46 win over Osceola on Dec. 18, Gateway’s first over the Kowgirls since 1995, was part of that winning stretch. A 46-39 win over Bayside, the program’s first district win since the 2005-06 season (the Panthers played as an independent the last two seasons), was the first of three 6A-6 wins that put the Panthers in a position have to win just once, on Friday against Port St. Lucie Centennial at 6 p.m., to qualify for their first playoff game.
Collazo said the team’s dynamic is almost like a sixth man, explaining some of the success.
“I love our team. It’s all about the chemistry, we really work well together,” she said. “We have underclassmen who picked things up quick.”
Garcia said that it’s also about having motivated leaders, who are down to the final weeks wearing the uniform, wanting to accomplish things never before done at Gateway.
“We want to end our season and our career in the playoffs. We want a trophy in the case and a banner in the gym that’s ours,” she said. “The winning record is good, but if there isn’t a big win there at the end, it won’t mean as much.”
The team’s gotten big buckets in key spots from Ruiz, and junior center Jovana Smith is nearly averaging double-digits in rebounds. Robertson said that while the leadership has come from the seniors, contributions on the floor have come from the entire lineup, and that they’re quite clear on what’s at stake.
“We have four freshmen and two sophomores on varsity, and they’ve got an opportunity to leave a legacy,” he said.
Collazo, who played on the last three varsity teams that had limited success, deemed the Panthers ready for the challenge.
“We’ve been preparing since right after we found out we were back in a district,” she said. “We’ll be ready.”
With a win Friday, Gateway would likely seed
top-seeded Vero Beach in Saturday’s 7 p.m. 6A-6 championship.
In the 4A-6 tournament, hosted by Harmony, Poinciana is the first seed for the first time, and the host Longhorns are No. 2.
The Eagles, 14-8 entering Friday’s regular-season finale at Pine Castle, are a bit of a surprise, considering Coach Jamerson Jones has started a sophomore and two freshmen most of the year after three-year All-County point guard Yeshira Delgado transferred to Orange County before the season.
“Yes we’re young, and nobody expected anything from us except ourselves,” Jones said. “We caught on after the holiday break when we were down about 20 points against Harmony and came back to win. We jelled then and have been on a run since.”
Poinciana has a first-round bye in the tournament, and will face the winner of Celebration and Tavares, who play on Wednesday at 6 p.m., in a semifinal Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Freshman Gerri Navarro has earned the point guard job and has run with it. Kedesia Johnson, a sophomore transfer from Massachusetts, plays the other guard spot and is averaging 16 points per game. Another freshman, Brandii Johnson, is the Eagles’ post presence, averaging just under nine rebounds and three blocks. Seniors Weslee Aristor and Brianna Garrett bring experience and stability, as the Eagles seek the the school’s first district basketball title in either gender.
Jones said that good things are ahead if his team can continue to limit mistakes.
“It’s hard not to expect us to be in the regionals,” he said. “But, we take nothing for granted and are focused on Friday.”
On the other side of the bracket, St. Cloud is the No. 6 seed and plays Oak Ridge on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Harmony (12-7) takes on No. 7 Eustis at 7:30, and those two winners will meet on Friday at 7:30. The championship game is Saturday at 7 p.m.
The Longhorns downed Lake Nona 56-49 in overtime on Wednesday. Sam Van Tassel scored 19 points, including two three-pointers in OT. Marie Gilbert posted 23 points and 13 rebounds.
HHS Coach Steve Smith, whose team has battled injuries all year and just recently had all 12 varsity players in practice for the first time, said this tournament is wide open.
“I think there are probably five teams that have a chance to win,” he said. “At this time of year I feel it is all about matchups. We feel good about our chances but we know one bad game and you are done.”
Osceola (15-9) was undefeated in winning the Orange Belt Conference title, but was just 5-7 in 5A District 5 play, and opens the tournament on Monday at 7 p.m. No. 4 seed Kowgirls face Sebring, with the winner taking on host and top-seed Winter Haven on Friday at 7:30.
Liberty is the No. 6 seed and plays Lake Wales on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The winner will see the winner of Tuesday’s Haines City-Ridge tilt in a 6 p.m. semifinal Friday. The championship is on Saturday at 7.