JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – It was a tough day in Lakeland for the Providence boys and girls basketball teams.
The Stallions girls couldn’t slow down powerhouse Miami Country Day in the Class 3A state semifinals, dropping a 60-38 game that ended their season at 26-3. The Providence boys battled Windermere Prep, but saw the Lakers pull an the stunner at the finish on a three-point play by Brandon Bass Jr. with one-tenth of a second left for a 39-38 stunner.
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The Stallions led by five with 61 seconds to play before Windermere Prep surged back. The Lakers knocked down a free throw, forced a Providence turnover and turned that into a basket. With 10.9 seconds to play and Providence with the ball, Windermere Prep elected not to foul.
It was an excellent decision.
The Lakers knocked the ball away and Bass came up with a steal. The Stallions nearly took it back at the other end, knocking the ball loose and then scurrying to get it back before it went out of bounds. But when Providence nabbed the loose ball and tossed it back in, it went into the hands of Windermere Prep’s Gustavo Roca, who found Bass driving to the baseline. He got the bucket to fall and drew a foul with .1 to play. He knocked down the free throw to win it and stun Providence. Caleb McAbee and David Fonville had 11 points apiece for the Stallions.
For the Providence girls, it was their third trip to the state final four. All three appearances in Lakeland, the Stallions have run into MCD, twice in the semis and once in the championship.
Janie Boyd led Providence with 15 points while Kasey Davey followed with 11.