Jackets reach finals March 5, 2011

Blake guard Brandon Channer's team-high 20 points weren't enough for the Yellow Jackets to advance

FRANK JOLLEY | Staff Writer

frankjolley@dailycommercial.com

LAKELAND -- The Leesburg High School boys basketball team is on the cusp of greatness.

The Yellow Jackets earned Lake County's first berth in a state championship game since 1998 with a 68-52 win Friday against Tampa Blake in Class 4A state semifinals game at The Lakeland Center. 

Leesburg will face Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons at noon today's in the Class 4A championship game. Gibbons advanced to the finals with a 55-53 win against Palatka in Friday's first semifinals game.

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 "This was a great win for us, our school, our community and Lake County," Leesburg coach Marcel Thomas said. "We had a tough task, but we focused on doing what we do best and beat a very good team. Now, it's going to get even tougher, but our guys have been stepping up all season, and I believe they can climb that last step on the ladder and bring home a state championship. 

"That last step, though, is going to be the toughest." 

Leesburg overcame a sluggish start to knock off Tampa Blake, which entered the game with a 28-2 record. The Yellow Jackets missed their first seven shots, and did not hit a field goal until the 1 minute, 38 second mark of the first quarter when D'Mauri Jones scored on a putback.

Despite the slow start, Leesburg stayed in the game because its defense suffocated Tampa Blake, which managed only six points over the same span. Tampa Blake's high-scoring tandem of Brandon Channer and Andre Smith were held in check with double teams. 

It wasn't until the third quarter when Smith got going, although Channer had nine points in the first half and 20 for the game. Smith entered Friday's play averaging nearly 20 points a game, and was a focal point of Leesburg's defensive plans. He finished with 16 points in his final high school game. 

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"We were willing to take our chances with everyone else, except Smith," Thomas said. "We did not want to let him get going from the start of the game. 

"Our guys really went after him and kept him in check," said the coach. "That allowed us to stay in the game until we found a shooting rhythm. Our offense really fed off efforts on the defensive end of the floor." 

Leesburg (27-4) found its collective stroke in the second quarter. After scoring only five points in the opening eight minutes, the Yellow Jackets poured in 24 in the second. 

Jones led the way with 11 points, and helped Leesburg build a 29-21 lead at intermission. The Yellow Jackets outrebounded Tampa Blake 25-17 in the first half as they grabbed 14 offensive rebounds. Leesburg also forced 10 turnovers. 

""They wouldn't let us get our offense going," Tampa Blake coach Winston Davis said. "Leesburg shot better than we expected, especially after the first quarter, and they outhustled us for every rebound. They would not let us get over the hump." 

Leesburg outlasted a run by Tampa Blake in the third quarter, which cut the Yellow Jackets' halftime advantage to one point. Tampa Blake stepped up its intensity in the third quarter, and shot 58 percent. However, they were unable to cut into Leesburg's rebounding superiority, and were limited to one shot on most possessions. 

In the fourth quarter, that became a telling statistic as Leesburg exploded for 27 points en route to its final margin of victory. The Yellow Jackets led in every offensive statistical category.

Leesburg outscored Tampa Blake in the paint 40-26, off the bench 11-7, and on second-chance opportunities 16-8 -- due primarily to its prowess on the backboards. 

Jones led the Yellow Jackets in scoring with 18 points, followed by Teron Wallace with 17. Undra Mitchem also reached double figures with 11 points. 

Joe Toolie, another offensive weapon for Leesburg, scored only two points but handed out nine assists.

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FRANK JOLLEY | Staff Writer

frankjolley@dailycommercial.com
www.dailycommercial.com

Article provided by:
Gerald Lacey
Staff Writer
Carver Heights Quarterback Club
www.leesburgyellowjacketsbasketball.com

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