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Region basketball finals breakdown

 
St. Pete's Serrel Smith (10, left) goes up for a shot during the Class 8A- District 10 boys basketball final,  Countryside vs. St. Petersburg at Seminole High School on Friday, 2/10/17.
St. Pete's Serrel Smith (10, left) goes up for a shot during the Class 8A- District 10 boys basketball final, Countryside vs. St. Petersburg at Seminole High School on Friday, 2/10/17.
Published Feb. 23, 2017

All games Friday night at 7. Admission is $7.

Class 8A

Melbourne (24-5) at Sickles (26-4): The Bulldogs have made the state semifinals each of the past two seasons. Melbourne has taken some hits through graduation, losing five seniors from last year's team. After starting 13-5, the Bulldogs have reeled off 11 straight wins. The Gryphons are in the region final for the first time since 2010, the year they made their only state semifinal appearance. Defense has been Sickles' strength all season. Since district play began, the Gryphons have held each of their five opponents to 39 points or fewer. Bryce Workman, a 6-foot-7 junior, had a big game for Sickles in the region semifinals, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds to help his team beat Bartow.

St. Petersburg (17-10) at Lakewood Ranch (26-2): This is a rematch of last year's region final. The Green Devils won that meeting 83-77 and went on to play in the state title game. St. Petersburg is in the region finals for a sixth straight season and is trying to reach the state semifinals for the third straight year. Serrel Smith has been the Green Devils' biggest playmaker in the playoffs. The junior guard scored 30 against Plant City in the region quarterfinals and 36 in the region semifinals against Tampa Bay Tech. The Mustangs are coached by Jeremy Schiller, a former coach at Osceola and assistant at Eckerd. Schiller is trying to lead the program to its first state semifinal appearance. Lakewood Ranch has won 17 straight this season and 19 straight at home dating to last season.

Class 7A

Largo (19-7) at Lehigh (20-9): The defending state finalist Packers keep finding ways to pull out games. On Tuesday, they erased a 10-point halftime deficit to beat Port Charlotte 93-83 in overtime in the region semifinals. Zhahidi Robinson scored 31 points, including some clutch free throws down the stretch to help Largo pull away. Robinson and Julian Cooney (21 points against Port Charlotte) have filled the scoring void created when sharpshooter Amant Deliu broke his foot before the district tournament. The Packers are used to playing on the road. For two years, Largo played every game on the road while the school and gymnasium were being renovated. This was the Packers' first season in their new gym and they still have an impressive road record (6-1). The Lightning are in the region finals for the third time in the past four seasons.

Orlando Edgewater (21-8) at Hillsborough (26-3): The Terriers, who have won 18 straight, are playing in the region final for the second straight season and are trying to get to the state semifinals for the first time since 1996. Hillsborough had to hit some clutch shots to beat Mitchell 37-34 in Tuesday's region semifinals. Ken Montgomery hit a 3-pointer and Dexter Stallworth nailed a short jumper to put the Terriers ahead for good in the final two minutes. Still, Hillsborough coach Chris Ward has been pleased with his team's execution the past two games. The Fightin' Eagles are trying to make their second state semifinal appearance in the past three season. To get there, Edgewater has played a challenging schedule that included games against defending state champions Windermere Prep and Pompano Beach Blanche Ely. Anfernee Simons is the Eagles' biggest playmaker, averaging 25 points and seven rebounds per game.

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Class 6A

Nature Coast (27-1) at Palatka (21-8): The Sharks avenged their only loss of the season, beating rival Central 70-48 in Tuesday's region semifinals. This will be Nature Coast's fifth region final appearance. The program is trying to get back to the state semifinals for the first time since 2012. Kaine McColley had a team-high 21 points against the Bears. The Panthers are a consistent playoff contender and made the state semifinals in 2011 and '13. Palatka has survived a series of close games, beating Gainesville Eastside 57-53 and Alachua Santa Fe 58-56 to get to the third round.

Class 5A

West Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy (17-7) at Tampa Catholic (23-5): This is a rematch of a thrilling 59-58 victory the Crusaders pulled at home in last year's region final. Tampa Catholic's Kevin Knox was clutch down the stretch in that game, scoring seven of the 18 points in the last minute, including a putback with 10 seconds remaining for the winning basket. In Tuesday's region final, Knox struggled, going 4-of-15 and finishing with a season-low nine points. But the Crusaders have other weapons. Tai Strickland has become a reliable scorer and finished with a team-high 25 points to help Tampa Catholic rally past Community School of Naples. The ThunderWolves are trying to make the state semifinals for the first time. AJ Cajuste, a sophomore, leads the team in scoring with 12.5 points per game.