Red Devils hit free throws to stop Kowboys

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Red Devils hit free throws to stop Kowboys

Sports

Saturday, 20 February 2010 01:52

By Rick Pedone
Sports Editor
After 31 minutes of breathless, fast-break basketball, Lakeland Kathleen beat Osceola, 57-54, by hitting six free throws in the final 13 seconds at the 5A Region quarterfinal Thursday at the OHS gym.
The Red Devils, 20-7, advance to play Bartow Tuesday in the semifinal round. Osceola finished 22-3, its best season in 11 years, but one that ended frustratingly early.
“I told the kids to pick their heads up. They have nothing to be ashamed of,” first-year OHS Coach Steve Mason said. “We were right there, we had some chances to win it right down to the end, but you have to give Kathleen credit. They hit their free throws down the stretch.”
The Kowboys led 52-51, after Jedarian Jackson (11) hit two free throws with 40 seconds to play, but Kathleen’s Johnny Paul hit a pair of free throws to put the Devils up by one, 53-52, and after an OHS turnover, Christian Baldwin converted a one-and-one to make it 55-52 with 7.8 seconds remaining.
Osceola’s Brenton Wil-liams (22) was fouled on the inbounds play and hit a pair of free throws to pull OHS to within one, 55-54, but the Devils wrapped it up when Terrick Colston knocked down both ends of a one-and-one with 5 second left, and center Dominique Gilberry (15) stole Osceola’s inbounds pass.
The teams raced up and down the floor throughout the game, but Kathleen held the advantage after going on a 21-4 spurt in the second and third quarters to lead, 37-25.
Osceola went to full-court pressure and quickly erased the lead, forcing six straight Red Devils turn-overs over a three-minute span that saw OHS pull within one, 43-41, on Williams’ dunk. The Kowboys tied it moments later when Jackson stole a pass and dunked as the third quarter expired.
The teams swapped the lead in the fourth quarter as Osceola got a boost from forward Johnson Decembre, who hit three jump shots to give OHS the lead, 50-49, with 3:38 to play.
Kathleen’s Paul hit a jumper with a minute left to put the Devils up, 51-50.
The Kowboys shot 41-percent from two-point range, but Mason pointed to too many misses under the basket as one reason why OHS didn’t win.
“We missed a lot of layups, that hurt us,” he said.
But, reflecting on a season that saw Osceola post its best record since 1983, a third-place finish at the Great Florida ShootOut and the school’s first district championship since 1999, Mason said his team has plenty to be proud of.
“Arguably, it’s the second-best season we’ve had here,” he said.
OHS loses Williams and forward B.J. Butler (8) from the starting lineup, the team’s leading scorer and rebounder, respectively, but Jackson and point guard Michael Sanchez (2) return along with Decembre and forward Stanley Turk (4).
The game was the last scheduled to be played in the OHS gym. The new gym should be completed in time for the 2010-11 season.
The news was disappointing for other county teams.
Poinciana (8-16) lost at Gainesville Eastside, 71-31, Thursday in the 4A-2 region quarterfinal. The Eagles scored nine straight in the first quarter to erase a 9-0 deficit before the Rams, 24-4, went on a 20-4 run.
Heritage Christian, 18-7, lost its Florida Christian Conference semifinal game to Brandon Faith Christian, 60-31, Thursday.
“We were down nine at the half and got within six, but they are just too strong inside,” HCC Coach Jim Estrella said. “They probably scored most of their points inside of four feet.”