Mike Ridaught
For nearly 29 minutes, the Hawthorne girls’ basketball team trailed Wildwood in Friday’s FHSAA Class 1A state semifinals.
But a late spurt helped lead the defending state champions back to the title game with a 44-41 win at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Hawthorne (21-3) rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to stun the top-ranked Wildcats (19-4).
“We were confident the entire game,” said Hawthorne coach Cornelius Ingram. “Every time we had the opportunity to get a timeout, I just wanted to look in the girls’ eyes in some of those crucial moments and I just continued to challenge them along with my coaching staff. We felt like the opportunity was still there no matter what.”
Trailing 39-31 at the end of the third quarter, Ingram told his team to cut the deficit in half before four minutes remained in the game.
They overachieved, taking less than a minute to do so.
Junior Jhalea Jackson (12 points, 11 rebounds, four steals) and junior guard De’Mya Adams (game-high 18 points, two assists, three steals) each scored on a layup to bring the Hornets within four, 39-35, with 7:10 to play in the game.
“We believed it, we kept fighting,” Ingram said. “When we cut it in half, we knew, and I could see my girls relax.”
Following a basket by Wildwood junior Trinidy Harris (10 points) for a six-point advantage, Hawthorne took the game to another level as the Wildcats never scored again.
Adams helped start a 9-0 run with a 3-pointer from the left wing to bring Hawthorne within three at 41-38 with 3:32 remaining.
Less than 30 seconds later, senior Zakena Ealy (five points) drained another left-wing 3-ball to tie the game at 41-41 with 3:04 to play.
With 2:18 left, Jackson made a layup to give Hawthorne its first lead of the game at 43-41 and they never trailed again.
Ingram switched defenses in the second half, as Hawthorne went from zone to man-to-man.
That helped contribute to Wildwood’s poor shooting in the fourth quarter as they finished just 1-for-12 (8.3%) in the final eight minutes.
Adams, who was 4-for-8 from behind the arc, embraced the underdog mentality and the smack talk.
“I’ve been hearing it all year (from Wildwood), ‘we’re coming for ya’ll, we’re going to beat ya’ll,’ even on Facebook I’ve been seeing posts that Hawthorne’s season is over already after we lost the three back-to-back,” she said. “Oh, we don’t have a chance at all. I’ve done seen and heard it all, so I was definitely ready for this game. I was ready to shut the haters up.”
Wildwood scored the first four points of the game, but Adams put the Hornets on the scoreboard with a right-wing 3-pointer with 6:04 to play in the first quarter.
Each time it looked like Wildwood might pull away, Hawthorne fought back.
Down six, the Hornets scored the final five points of the first quarter and trailed by one, 11-10, heading into the second quarter.
Adams hit a pair of 3s in the second quarter to make it a two-point game and a four-point game.
And just when it looked like the Wildcats might put the game away following a 3-pointer by junior Alexia McCray (five points) to give Wildwood its largest lead at 39-27 late in the third quarter, Hawthorne answered.
Senior Lakijah Brown (two points, seven assists) and Jackson had consecutive scores to close within eight heading into the final quarter.
Wildwood, which was led by senior Essiance Jasper with 12 points, outrebounded Hawthorne (36-33), had more points off of turnovers (22-15), led in fast break points (16-5), and got more production from its bench (10-2), but the scoreboard was the only stat that mattered after the game.
“To get this type of win against the No. 1 team, year in and year out, it tells you what type of girls I have,” Ingram said. “High character, really believe in each other and play for each other, and that’s what it’s about.”
The No. 4 seed Hornets will play No. 3 seed Graceville at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday for the Class 1A state title.
Graceville advanced with a 44-37 win against No. 2 seed Ponce De Leon in the other state semifinal.
Free audio of the game will be available online at Mainstreet Daily News beginning at 5:20 p.m.
