Top Performances: Day 6 of the state tournament (7A-9A)
The last day of the 2018 Florida state basketball tournament wrapped up with three finals featured in 7A, 8A and 9A.
Results
7A final: Doral 43, Choctaw 38
8A final: Blanche Ely 77, Creekside 54
9A final: Oak Ridge 71, Wellington 60
Here are the top performances from Day 6 of the FHSAA state tournament.
Robin Perry (Oak Ridge)
What a night for Oak Ridge senior Robin Perry as the Pioneers won their first state title. The 6’4″ guard picked up the slack with seniors Emmitt Williams and Antwaan Jones battling foul trouble. Perry scored a game-high 32 points on 11-of-15 shooting from the field which included 4-of-5 from downtown. Underrated and highly skilled as a scorer, Perry drew the attention of everyone in the stands.
Joshua Scott/Michael Forrest (Blanche Ely)
It was a fun one for upperclassmen Joshua Scott and Michael Forrest. The Blanche Ely duo combined for 47 points as the Tigers captured their third state title in four years. Scott, a junior forward powered his way to 26 points which included a 12-of-14 clip from the free throw line. Forrest showed up to play with 21 points. Also, senior guard Anthony Byrd had 14 points which featured a one-handed slam in the second half.
Jonathan Nunez (Doral)
A pure team philosophy worked for Doral as the Firebirds beat Choctaw by five to win its first ever state title in program history. Junior guard Jonathan Nunez had a team-best 14 points while senior Miguel Ayesa scored 11 points. Twin brothers, Reggie and Kobbie totaled 15 points together which displayed some big free throws down the stretch.
Nico Toledo/Linton Brown (Wellington)
Entering the night 31-0, Wellington left Lakeland just one win short of a perfect season and a state title. It was a hard fought game for the Wolverines against a super athletic Oak Ridge unit. Senior Nico Toledo added a team-high 19 points while junior Linton Brown had 17 points. Wellington is a well coached team that seems to always find a way to make deep playoff runs.
Diante Smith (Choctaw)
The defensive pressure of Doral was pretty tough for Choctaw to handle. Junior forward Diante Smith was the best player on the floor for the Indians in the loss. Smith scored 12 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Senior Aaron Scott pitched in with nine points while junior Josh Williams and senior Marquis Jackson each had six points.
Noah Lippy (Creekside)
It was a back and forth battle in the opening quarter, but two technical fouls and struggles offensively did Creekside in during the second quarter. Senior Noah Lippy scored a team-best 14 points while senior J’Michael Plummer had 13 points and senior DJ Dumas had 10 points. Creekside is a defensive minded team that showed out all season. The Knights were playing in their first ever state tournament.