Tonight is the second round of the FHSAA Girls Basketball state playoffs. For Classes 1A-4A, a win puts you in the state semifinals next week in Lakeland.
In Class 4A, P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) is looking for back-to-back final four appearances. The Lady Blue Wave (27-1), winners of 15 in a row, are playing in their sixth straight regional final. They travel to Jacksonville to face University Christian (21-4).
On Valentine’s Day, P.K. Yonge defeated Providence (Jacksonville), 59-28, and University Christian cruised past Oak Hall (Gainesville), 55-18. This is the fourth consecutive year that these two teams have met in the postseason, with P.K. Yonge winning the previous two meetings and UCS winning in 2016 en route to a Class 3A state runner-up finish.
The winner will likely get 5-time defending state champion Miami Country Day, the No. 1 team in the country according to USA Today, in next Wednesday’s Class 4A state semifinals.
In Class 2A, Aucilla Christian (Monticello) travels to Impact Christian (Jacksonville). The winner will get either Florida Prep (Melbourne) or defending state champion City of Life Christian Academy (Kissimmee) in Monday’s state semifinals. Hernando Christian Academy travels Bayshore Christian (Tampa) in a Region 2 Final. The winner will face either Grandview Prep or Miami Christian in the other state semifinal.
Defending 1A state champion Wildwood was knocked off by Trenton, 53-42, last Thursday. The Lady Tigers (24-3) now have a clear path to Lakeland after back-to-back regional final losses to the Wildcats.
Trenton will host Branford in a rematch of the District 7 championship game, which Trenton won easily, 76-41. In fact, the Lady Tigers have won all three meetings against the Buccaneers by an average margin of victory of 33.7 points. The winner will face Jay or state semifinalist Port St. Joe in Monday’s 1A state semifinals.
Hawthorne will also be at home tonight against 2-time state semifinalist Lafayette (Mayo) in a match-up of top five teams. The visiting Hornets (22-3) are ranked second in Class 1A by MaxPreps, while the ‘home’ Hornets (21-4) are ranked fourth. Lafayette won last year’s meeting, 56-38, and has won nine of the last 10 meetings. Hawthorne is unbeaten against Class 1A competition this season. The winner will play either Paxton or Holmes County in Monday’s other 1A state semifinal.
Area match-ups
Regional Semifinals
Class 9A
Sandalwood (Jacksonville) 54, Spruce Creek (Port Orange) 51
Class 8A
Bartram Trail (St. Johns) 44, Creekside (St. Johns) 39
Class 7A
Nease (Ponte Vedra) 67, Middleburg 42
Father Lopez (Daytona Beach) 50, Lake Gibson (Lakeland) 29
Class 6A
Bishop Kenny (Jacksonville) 56, Ribault (Jacksonville) 41
Menendez (St. Augustine) 56, Eastside (Gainesville) 35 – VIDEO BROADCAST
Weeki Wachee 52, Crystal River 39
Bishop Moore (Orlando) 56, Eustis 35
Class 5A
Raines (Jacksonville) 58, Bolles (Jacksonville) 45
Regional Finals
Class 4A
P.K. Yonge (Gainesville) 58, University Christian (Jacksonville) 41
Class 2A
Aucilla Christian (Monticello) 25, Impact Christian Academy (Jacksonville) 23
Bayshore Christian (Tampa) 57, Hernando Christian Academy 36
Class 1A
Hawthorne 55, Lafayette (Mayo) 50
Trenton 53, Branford 46
