Hoops teams chasing district crowns

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Hoops teams chasing district crowns

Sports

Friday, 12 February 2010 09:49

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
New Dimensions plays for its first 2A District 9 boys basketball championship today at 7 p.m. against host Lakeland Christian and is assured a spot in the regional playoffs beginning Thursday.
New Dimensions, 12-6, defeated the Vikings twice during the regular season to earn the No. 1 seed at the district tournament.
The Vikings defeated Lakeland Santa Fe Wednesday to reach the championship game of the three-team district.
While New Dimensions is already in the regional tournament, several other county teams played Friday for regional berths.
Osceola, the No. 1 seed in 5A-5, met host Sebring in the semifinal round. Lake Wales played Ridge Community in the other semifinal. Those winners meet for the championship today at 7 p.m.
Ridge Community eliminated Liberty, 61-39, in the quarterfinal round Tuesday.
The 4A-6 tournament at Poinciana concludes today at 7 p.m.
St. Cloud, a 60-47 winner over Harmony in the quarterfinal round Wednesday, played No. 2 seed Oak Ridge in the semifinal round. Poinciana, a 56-53 overtime winner over Celebration Wednesday, played top-seeded Eustis Friday.
St. Cloud, 14-8, started slowly but pulled away from the rival Longhorns, 6-17, as guards David Ortiz, James Boone and Jens Soto each scored 14 points. St. Cloud trailed 12-10 early in the second quarter before Boone hit a 3-pointer and Rakim Gore and Ortiz each scored two buckets to lift the Bulldogs to a 25-17 halftime advantage.
Harmony, despite hitting just 24 percent from the field, stayed within striking distance at 46-36 in the final period as Erik Sjostrom hit a pair of 3-pointers, but Soto, Ortiz and Boone combined to hit 11 free throws in the fourth quarter to put it away.
“We did what we had to do, we survived,” St. Cloud Coach Tim McMullen said. “We knew this was going to be a war. If we could have won this game by one point, I would have been happy.”
Poinciana, 7-13, trailed Celebration by six, 41-35, in the fourth quarter before guards Sherwood Vinson (17), Lex Curry (13), Miguel Rivera (11) and forward Wayne Ricks (7) came up with key plays to force a tie at 48 at the end of regulation. Vincent hit the tying basket with a minute to play. Celebration held the ball for the last 45 seconds of the fourth quarter but couldn’t score.
In overtime, Celebration, 6-20, was handicapped by the loss of forward Robert Machecek, who fouled out with 19 points.
“Fifteen (Machecek) being out obviously changed things,” Poinciana Coach Jay Lunce said. “We changed up the tempo in the fourth quarter. If we don’t do that, we get a little flat and you could see that was happening to us.”
Lunce said having three of his players score in double figures indicates that the Eagles game plan worked.
“We have to have that balance. We aren’t a team with one big star, we need everyone to contribute to be successful,” he said.
Celebration Coach Jeff Bean said his team could have won in overtime.
“We turned it over, then we didn’t run the play right,” Bean said. “That’s the difference in a close game like this. Every possession matters.”
Bean said his team should be better next year.
“We just lose one of our starting five, and our guy who was out all year with a knee injury (Mark Pearson) will be back,” Bean said.