LAKELAND — Just like Academy at the Lakes relies on freshman Audra Leipold and sophomore Imani Thomas, the Wildcats' Class 2A state semifinal opponent, Florida A&M, has its own powerful duo.
The Rattlers' go-tos, however, are bigger, faster, older. And from the start of the playoff game at the Lakeland Center on Tuesday morning, that showed.
Junior guard Jazmine Jones, who has offers from some of the best college programs in the nation, didn't waste any time showing off her skills in the high-stakes matchup. She and teammate Ja'Nyia McNealy scored 26 and 17 points, respectively, as FAMU topped the Wildcats 74-45, handing AATL it's second straight state semifinal loss.
"Once she turns it on, it's a wrap," FAMU coach Ericka Cromartie said. "We just make sure that she knows, 'Look. They can't guard you. Go to the basket.' I think sometimes she relies on her jump shot."
Whatever Jones did Tuesday, it worked.
Academy at the Lakes was scoreless through the first two and a half minutes as the Rattlers (26-2) went on an 8-0 run. Thomas, who picked up two fouls in the first minute of the game, came back in and helped AATL go in its own 8-0 run to tie the score.
But during the Wildcats' rally, Thomas picked up her third foul with more than two minutes to go in the first quarter.
"It threw me off, because (Coach) told me from the get go, 'Don't get fouls. Let it go.' Then I got two fouls like that," said Thomas, who finished with 23 points and eight rebounds. "That's when everything started happening."
When Thomas came out of the game, the Rattlers pounced, ending the first quarter on a 15-2 run. The second quarter didn't go much better for the Wildcats, but Thomas did come back in to put up four points, two from the free-throw line, and Leipold added a 3-pointer.
In the second half — FAMU with a 44-17 lead at the break — Leipold and Thomas appeared to perk up. The Wildcats didn't score until halfway through the third quarter, but once Leipold started, she couldn't stop. The freshman guard scored eight points in the third, and Thomas, who didn't pick up another foul after the first quarter, scored 13 in the fourth.
But by then, it was too little, too late.
Rebounding and stopping FAMU's press were the keys to the game that veteran coach Karim Nohra pointed out to his team from the start. The Wildcats held their own on the boards, all things considered, and were only outrebounded 37-33. Nohra also acknowledged that his team was sufficient in slowing down the press, but the Wildcats couldn't convert that into points of their own.
Ultimately, Nohra said, his team's relative inexperience did play a role in the loss. Still, that fact only gives the team more hope for the future.
"When (Thomas) is a senior and I'm a junior, that year is going to be special because we'll have so many years together," said Leipold, who finished with 17 points. "We'll know everything we like to do."
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Explore all your optionsUntil then, Nohra and his team will take pride in their repeat trips to Lakeland and the state final four, a spot in which the Wildcats' have finished their season each of the past four seasons.
And some day, he said, the Wildcats will get the win that made all those trips worth it.
"Everybody's got to pay a price before you win one," Nohra said. "You pay a price, and we're paying the price right now."