Palm Beach County had a good night Tuesday in boys hoops, with five area teams advancing to this weekend’s regional championship round.
Oxbridge Academy will play No. 1-ranked Tampa Catholic in a Class 4A regional championship game Saturday. The ThunderWolves defeated Cardinal Newman in Tuesday’s regional semifinals. (Photo by Bill Ingram)
St. Andrew’s, Oxbridge Academy, Wellington, Grandview Prep and Village Academy won their regional semifinal games, and will play for the opportunity to earn a berth in next week’s state tournament.
The Wolverines face Coral Springs tonight in a Class 8A regional final, while the Scots (4A), ThunderWolves (4A), Pride (2A) and Tigers (2A) play Saturday.
Here’s our preview:
Class 8A
Coral Springs (19-7) at Wellington (25-4), 7 p.m. tonight: The Wolverines overpowered Santaluces Tuesday to advance to their second straight regional championship game, while Coral Springs had a much tougher time with Weston-Cypress Bay, winning by a three-point margin. Junior guard Trent Frazier had a big game against the Chiefs, but No. 2-ranked Wellington also got great production from its other starters, among them seniors Alex Dieudonne, Nick Brown and Lester Gates. The Wolverines’ roster is talented and deep, and the Colts do not want to start slow – as Santaluces did – and have to play catch-up. No. 9 Coral Springs has beaten a handful of state-ranked teams this year, among them Dwyer and Lauderdale Lakes-Boyd Anderson. But the defending state champion Wolverines have plenty of motivation to return to Lakeland, plus they have the home crowd in their corner.
Prediction: Wellington 65-58
Class 4A
Miami-Westminster Christian (20-10) at St. Andrew’s (26-1), 7 p.m. Saturday: The Scots needed a layup from guard Anthony Polite in the waning moments to pull out a 50-47 win against state-ranked Hollywood-Chaminade Madonna in Tuesday’s regional semifinals. Coach John O’Connell’s team would prefer a little less drama against the Warriors in this one. No. 2-ranked St. Andrew’s has been winning with defense all season, and expect that to continue Saturday against No. 9 Westminster Christian, which has won five straight. Like St. Andrew’s, the Warriors had a close call in their regional semifinal, edging Miami-Gulliver Prep 70-68. Winning two in row on the road during the postseason can be tough, though, and the Scots don’t plan to make things easy.
Prediction: St. Andrew’s 53-48
Oxbridge Academy (17-8) at Tampa Catholic (25-4), 7 p.m. Saturday: The ThunderWolves used a big fourth quarter to pull away from Cardinal Newman in Tuesday’s regional semifinals, while the Crusaders were all over LaBelle, winning 90-61. Tampa Catholic has been prolific offensively this season, and will pose a challenge for Oxbridge on defense. Point guard Thomas Dziagwa, who has signed with Oklahoma State, and wing Kevin Knox – a five-star recruit – have been standouts, averaging 22.8 and 30.2 points per game, respectively. But the ThunderWolves have had success this season limiting opponents inside and from long range. Oxbridge has allowed more than 73 points just once all season – to high-scoring Grandview Prep – and has given up an average of just 48.5 points in its last 14 games. The ThunderWolves also have balanced scoring, with sophomore Keidron Smith and freshman A.J. Cajuste stepping up in Tuesday’s win over Cardinal Newman. Oxbridge will be ready to play Saturday, but it faces a tall task on the road.
Prediction: Tampa Catholic 69-60
Class 2A
Village Academy (14-11) at Bradenton Christian (25-3), 7 p.m. Saturday: The Tigers earned their first win in four tries against Atlantic Christian Academy Tuesday, shutting down the Saints’ talented stable of shooters in a 74-51 victory. Village Academy will need another solid defensive effort Saturday against the state’s No. 6-ranked team Saturday. The Panthers have lost just once in their past 24 games, and have averaged 83.5 points during that span. On the offensive side, junior guard Widgens Eugene will have to continue to shoot well for the Tigers, who have never advanced this far in postseason play. Eugene scored 28 points against Atlantic Christian, and is averaging 19 points per game this season. An up-tempo game would suit Eugene and Village Academy on Saturday. The opposite could be trouble.
Prediction: Bradenton Christian 76-67
Miami Christian (22-8) at Grandview Prep (29-0), 7 p.m. Saturday: The No. 1-ranked Pride faced a tough test Tuesday in the regional semifinals against No. 2 Deerfield Beach-Zion Lutheran, and draw another top team Saturday in No. 3 Miami Christian. The Victors knocked Grandview out of the postseason last year in the regional finals, and the Pride haven’t forgotten. Grandview has been winning with offense all season, and Tuesday’s win was no exception. The Pride scored 85 points against Zion Lutheran, extending their streak to eight straight games in which they have scored 80 points or more. Miami Christian – the defending Class 2A state champion – also has had success on the offensive end recently, averaging 77.5 points during its current four-game winning streak. But I like Grandview and its veteran lineup of shooters to win this one at home.
Prediction: Grandview Prep 77-70
