Winter Haven Fends Off Feisty Kathleen

Sat. February 04, 2012 at 6:26 a.m. | By Polk Preps Staff

By RICK BROWN

THE LEDGER

Girls Basketball: Class 6a, District 9

SEBRING | The tears flowing from the eyes of the Kathleen girls basketball team told the story on Friday.

For nearly 3½ quarters, the Lady Red Devils went toe-to-toe with the perennial state power Winter Haven girls basketball team and did not flinch.

In the final five minutes, however, the Lady Blue Devils' championship pedigree took over.

Trailing 37-33 with 5:21 remaining, Winter Haven closed the game on a 13-0 run to defeat Kathleen 46-37 and claim the Class 6A, District 9 title.

With the victory, the 14th district title for the Lady Blue Devils, Winter Haven (16-8) will host Mitchell in the regional quarterfinals. That game is scheduled to be played Thursday.

Cynkeria Mobley scored 17 points and Khadijah Howell netted seven of her 13 points in the fourth quarter to help the Lady Blue Devils.

Kathleen (16-9), who had lost to Winter Haven by 28 in their last meeting, will travel to take on Tarpon Springs in the quarterfinals.

My'Esha Williams scored a game-high 18 points for Kathleen.

Early on, Kathleen let it be known they would not go down easy. Using a full-court press, every time Winter Haven would make a run, Kathleen was able to find an answer.

Leading 15-14 in the second, Winter Haven went on a 9-1 run to take a 24-15 lead and led 24-18 at the half.

But Kathleen opened the third with a 13-3 run to tie the game at 27. Williams scored eight points in the quarter and the game was knotted at 31 entering the fourth.

It was tied at 33 when Williams and Anaya Thomas scored to give Kathleen its largest lead of the night 37-33.

Baskets by Howell and Mobley tied the game at 37 for Winter Haven before Howell connected on her third and final 3-pointer of the game. That gave Winter Haven the lead for the final time.

"You have to do what your team needs you to do to win," Howell said of her clutch 3-pointer. "Getting another (district title) is part of the legacy."

Kathleen (37) – Williams 18, Holmes 2, Small 9, DeJesus 3, Parker 1, Thomas 4. Totals 16 5-10 37.

Winter Haven (46) – Patterson 7, Howell 13, Mobley 17, Arnold 2, Willix 7. Totals 18 7-15 46.

Kathleen 10 8 13 6 – 37

Winter Haven 11 13 7 15 – 46

Halftime: Winter Haven 24-18. 3-Point Field Goals: Kathleen none. Winter Haven 3 (Howell 3). Records: Kathleen 16-9. Winter Haven 16-8.