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Region boys basketball: Sarasota Booker 80, Jesuit 76

 
Published Feb. 17, 2017

TAMPA — Jesuit coach Neal Goldman knew that reducing the basketball court from 84 feet to 42 was the Tigers' best way to defeat Sarasota Booker Thursday night in the Class 6A region quarterfinals.

For the first half, that strategy worked as Jesuit (22-5) hit the outside shot to build a lead as much as 10, and forced the Tornadoes (18-8) into a half-court game.

The Tigers couldn't duplicate that after intermission. Booker scored the first 14 points of the third quarter and blitzed Jesuit with another 9-0 spurt minutes later to highlight a 31-point quarter and end the Tigers' season 80-76.

"Their transition baskets in the third quarter is what turned the game around," Goldman said. "We tried to get them in a half-court game. Once the game became a full-court game, that's when they took advantage of their quickness."

Stevie Darst scored 40 points, 29 after halftime, and Thierry Moliere added 17 for Jesuit. But a much quicker Booker team, led by Johnnie Williams (27 points), Jordan Clark (21) and Eunique Arnold (19), was too much for the Tigers.

Jesuit used a 21-6 outburst in the first half for a 27-17 lead. But Booker scored the final six points of the second quarter, and the first 11 to start the third. The Tigers couldn't keep the Tornadoes out of the paint, an issue magnified when Jesuit center Will Anderson played only 61 seconds in the second half before fouling out.

Booker's aggressive approach to the basket paid dividends as the Tornadoes went to the foul line 38 times, making 29. Jesuit was 14-of-17 from the stripe.

After Booker's first third-quarter run, Jesuit scored six consecutive points to take its last lead at 35-34 with 4 minutes left. The Tornadoes' subsequent 9-0 run put the Tigers behind for good. Jesuit trailed 50-41 late in the third and made several fourth-quarter runs, but Booker never gave up the lead.

"We're built on shooting, and when we missed, that opened up the court," Goldman said. "That made the difference."

Booker shot 56 percent (15 of 27) in the second half, and Jesuit committed 12 of its 15 turnovers after intermission.

"We were home and we worked hard to get to this point," Goldman said. "But it just wasn't our night."