8A-9: Tampa Bay Tech, Plant City advance to district final
The Class 8A-District 9 Final will have a similar feel to it on Friday night. Both Tampa Bay Tech and Plant City advanced and will square off for the third straight year. Here are the results. Semifinal: Tampa Bay Tech 90,…
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Continue ReadingThe Class 8A-District 9 Final will have a similar feel to it on Friday night.
Both Tampa Bay Tech and Plant City advanced and will square off for the third straight year.
Here are the results.
Semifinal: Tampa Bay Tech 90, Durant 66
Semifinal: Plant City 71, East Bay 39
Now a look at the insight from both games.
Tampa Bay Tech 90. Durant 66
In the earlier semifinal, Tampa Bay Tech handled business against Durant in a 90-66 victory.
The Titans (17-7) senior duo Jamarcus Robertson and Gavin Antoine combined for 54 points.
Robertson had a game-best 34 points with 18 in the first half alone. He routinely found good areas in transition and finished near the rim. Antoine paced him with 20 points which featured his typical flashy one-handed dunks.
“I’ve been doing a lot of shooting after practice, working on my mid-range game and 3-pointers,” Robertson said. “I’ve just been getting more shots off lately. It has transferred over to the games now. If I get hot, I’m going to keep it going.”
With a district championship on the line Friday night, Robertson wants the win badly after losing at home a season ago.
“It would be better because last year they beat us at our place. I’m tired of losing to them. I lost to them in football this year to,” he said. “We have to play as a team with energy and tough defense. We got them once in the regular season but winning a district championship against them would feel even better.”
For Durant (9-13), senior guard Jeff White led his side with 22 points while fellow senior guard Brendan Maclachlan paced him with 15 points.
Plant City 71, East Bay 39
Host Plant City beat East Bay 71-39 in a chippy district semifinal on Wednesday evening.
Last season Plant City (16-9) went to Tampa Bay Tech and won the district title. The year prior, Tampa Bay Tech took down Plant City at host Strawberry Crest.
The two teams split the regular season series. Plant City won the first matchup 61-52 on Dec. 14 before losing at Tampa Bay Tech on Jan. 24, 58-51.
“We have to be tough, definitely for Friday against (Tampa Bay) Tech. It is the rubber match,” Plant City coach Billy Teeden said. “This is the third year in a row. I’m looking forward to it. We know each other well so it will come down to who makes more buckets than the other guy.”
The Raiders finished with four players in double figures led by Bethune Cookman signee Justyn King (18 points). Senior guard Drew Johnson had 13 points while sophomore guard Jordyn Manning added 12 points and senior guard Mykel Oyola recorded 10 points.
Johnson gave Plant City good minutes as a good touch shooter while Manning was a calming presence running the point and attacking. Oyola had some nice takes to the rim. It was King who was active as a smart passer, tough nosed rebounder and all around finisher all night long.
“He (King) is 6’7 with a 7-foot wingspan. That is what he should do every night and he is doing well,” Teeden said. “We have some guys playing better at the right time so that is good.”
For East Bay (6-17), junior guard Caleb Davis finished with a team-high 15 points while senior guard Jose Romero ended the night with 13 points.