Wildcats, Vikings Advance To Finals

Wed. February 08, 2012 at 2:00 a.m. | By Blake Hasenzahl

By BLAKE HASENZAHL

LEDGER CORRESPONDENT

Boys hoops: 3a-7

LAKELAND | McKeel Academy freshmen Dwayne Bacon had 14 points and Corey Sanders 13 en route to the team's first playoff win 70-63 over Santa Fe in front of a packed gym at Santa Fe High School.

"I feel good, I feel that we can win a district championship now," the 6-foot-6 Bacon said. "We just have to keep going hard in practice and stop thinking that we can just come out here and win."

Lakeland Christian defeated New Dimensions for the first time this season 51-43 earlier in the evening.

That sets up the Class 3A, District 7 championship game between McKeel and Lakeland Christian, to be played at 7 p.m. Friday.

McKeel jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead but Santa Fe battled back and took a 12-9 lead going into the half following a 3-pointer by Tim Cotto.

Cotto and Santa Fe senior Devonte Drisdom each had 22 points.

Drisdom, however, struggled from the field, hitting just three buckets — two in the fourth quarter with McKeel's starters resting — and finished with a 17.6 field goal percentage.

Much of that can be attributed to the defense of Sanders.

"Everyone thinks that I'm just an offensive player, but I can play defense," Sanders said. "I like to guard the best player on the court and kill their ego. I want them, I want to shut them down."

McKeel (22-1) had 14 steals thanks to its feisty defense.

The Wildcats out-rebounded the Crimson Hawks (10-13) 36-22 as well.

The Vikings (13-11) lost both regular season games to the Dragons.

New Dimensions (12-14) was without guard Xavier Price, who is averaging 10.5 points per game this season. This was Price's first missed game of the season.

Phil Wilsman, Will Portlock and Christian Alexander all scored in double digits for Lakeland Christian.

McKeel, too, defeated Lakeland Christian twice during the regular season, but should have it's full line-up for Friday night's game.

New Dimensions (43): Kepler Francois 8, Jean Cintron 9, Jordan Garcia 4, Marc Serat 11, Antonio Oliva 6, James Fuchs 5. Totals 14 11-17 43.

Lakeland Christian (51): Phil Wilsman 11, Lance Brock 7, Will Protlock 12, Jalen Marbra 3, Miles Tombrink 2, Brent brenneman 2, Michael Oh 4, Christian Alexander 10. Totals 19 11-16 51.

New Dimensions 3 9 9 22 —43

Lakeland Christian 10 12 8 21 —51

Halftime: LCS 30-21. 3-pointers: New Diemsions 4 (Francois 2, Cintron, Fuchs), LCS 2 (Wilsman, Marbra). Records: New Dimensions 12-14; LCS 13-11.

Santa Fe (63): Huan Huynh 1, Tim Cotto 22, Joseph Gabriel 3, Devonte Drisdom 22, Greyson Kelly-Shad 2, Nick Kedzuf 4, Chris Nattania 5, Thomas Guarnary 2. Totals 16 24-34 63.

McKeel Academy (70): Dwayne Bacon 14, Corey Sanders 13, Mitch Gullifer 11, Gabe Rearson 6, Dalton Yelvington 2, Jake Gandy 1, Evan Broom 5, Shaq Hewitt 3, Kendal Barnes 12, Richard Henderson 3. Totals 27 7-15 70.

Santa Fe 12 4 16 31 —63

McKeel Academy 9 17 27 17 —70

Halftime: McKeel 26-16. 3-pointers: Santa Fe , McKeel 7 (Bacon 2, Sanders, Gullifer 2, Rearson, Broom, Barnes 2). Records: Santa Fe 10-13; McKeel 22-1.