P.K. Yonge advances to region final

P.K. Yonge's Montinique Williams attempts to steal the ball against Master's Academy in the Region 1-3A semifinals game on Tuesday.
P.K. Yonge's Montinique Williams attempts to steal the ball against Master's Academy in the Region 1-3A semifinals game on Tuesday.
Photo by C.J. Gish

This season, eight has been enough for the P.K. Yonge girls basketball team.

But on Tuesday night at home, the Lady Blue Wave were down to seven varsity players for its Class 3A-Region 1 Final.

“Playing with seven tonight, it was amazing,” said P.K. Yonge coach Willie Powers.

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Despite being limited, No. 2 seed P.K. Yonge hit seven free throws in the final 2:12 to defeat No. 3 seed Master’s Academy (Oviedo), 57-45, and advance to Friday’s region final.

“Just a gutsy bunch of young ladies,” Powers said. “They leave it all on the court.”

P.K. Yonge's Ashlyn Young drives to the basket against Master's Academy in the Region 1-3A semifinals game on Tuesday.
Photo by C.J. Gish P.K. Yonge’s Ashlyn Young drives to the basket against Master’s Academy in the Region 1-3A semifinals game on Tuesday.

Sophomore Zion McRae scored a game-high 30 points to lead the Blue Wave, including 21 in the second half.

“She scored when we needed her,” Powers said. “Our team is a team that gets the ball to the people that are hot. They don’t care about ‘self’ and that’s been very, very important.”

P.K. Yonge (16-3) led by as many as 12 points early after two free throws by McRae (12-18 FT) gave the Blue Wave a 15-3 lead with 6:36 to play in the second quarter.

However, the visiting Eagles (20-7) got hot behind the arc as 8th-grader Brooklyn O’ Gallagher (team-high 16 points) hit three 3-pointers in the quarter, including her third with 43 seconds to play in the half to close the gap to four, 23-19, at intermission.

The Lady Blue Wave extended the lead to nine, 35-26, on a basket by junior Reniyah Clark (5 points) with 3:59 to play in the third quarter.

But once again, Master’s Academy battled back and eventually made it a 1-point game, 38-37, on a 3-pointer by junior Sage Smith (6 points) less than two minutes into the fourth quarter.

P.K. Yonge answered with an 8-0 run which ended with a basket by freshman Ashlyn Young, who scored nine points in the opening half and finished with 15 points.

The Blue Wave took advantage of 6’1 junior De’Mar Wims in the front court.

She only scored two points but was an intimidating factor inside.

“My gosh, I mean having that post presence just really helped there at the rim,” Powers said.

Although the game was close at times, the Blue Wave never trailed after taking a 3-2 lead.

Senior Ilayzia Wilcox (5 points) hit a 3-pointer with just under a minute and a half into the game which gave P.K. Yonge a lead it would never relinquish.

“Total great effort from all of my girls,” Powers said. “I’m just so proud of them because nobody thought that they would be here.”

Up next, P.K. Yonge will travel to Providence (Jacksonville) on Friday for the region final.

The top-seeded Stallions (21-5) eliminated FSU High (Tallahassee), 45-42, in the other Region 1 semifinal.

The winner will advance to next week’s state semifinals in Lakeland.

“They don’t want to lose,” Powers said. “I’m very proud of them. I can’t say anything but great things because, like I said, they put on a gutsy performance against a very good team.”

GIRLS (Scores) – Tuesday, Feb. 14

Regional Semifinals

Class 6A-Region 1

No. 7 Land O’ Lakes 49, No. 3 Gainesville 47

Class 3A-Region 1

No. 2 P.K. Yonge 57, No. 3 Master’s Academy (Oviedo) 45 – Blue Wave (16-3) advance to Class 3A-Region 1 Final

Regional Semifinals

Class 1A-Region 3

No. 1 Hawthorne 80No. 2 Newberry 55 – Hornets (13-5) advance to the Class 1A state semifinals

Class 1A-Region 4

No. 1 Wildwood 61, No. 2 Trenton 36

P.K. Yonge's Reniyah Clark dribbles up court against Master's Academy in the Region 1-3A semifinals game on Tuesday.
Photo by C.J. Gish P.K. Yonge’s Reniyah Clark dribbles up court against Master’s Academy in the Region 1-3A semifinals game on Tuesday.
P.K Yonge's Ilazyia Wilcox defends against Masters Academy in the Region 1-3A semifinals game on Tuesday.
Photo by C.J. Gish P.K Yonge’s Ilazyia Wilcox defends against Masters Academy in the Region 1-3A semifinals game on Tuesday.
P.K. Yonge's Zion McRae dribbles down the court against Masters Academy in the Region 1-3A semifinals game on Tuesday.
Photo by C.J. Gish P.K. Yonge’s Zion McRae dribbles down the court against Masters Academy in the Region 1-3A semifinals game on Tuesday.

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