Aquinas girls repeat as basketball champs

By Lynn Ramsey - Florida Catholic

LAKELAND | Coach Oliver Berens challenged St. Thomas Aquinas senior Breanna Gustave to repeat what she did in last year’s Class 6A state championship game. Gustave followed Berens’ order, then some.

Gustave scored a game-high 23 points to guide the Raiders to a 59-45 victory over Apopka Wekiva in a Class 6A final rematch. The victory Feb. 26, 2022 gave the Raiders their second state championship.

Gustave also grabbed nine rebounds for the Raiders (26-4), who won their last 10 games. St. Thomas Aquinas made their third state final in four years. They also had to beat a Wekiva team that was in its fourth consecutive state final. The Raiders denied  the Mustangs (25-3) their third title.

“She stepped up in the most important times,” Berens said. “We knew the lanes would be open for her to drive. I think she did a great job of taking what was given to her. She had such a determined effort. I’m so proud of Bre. This kid needs to be on scholarship.”

Last year, Gustave had 14 points in the Raiders’ 62-60 final win against Wekiva. This year, she had that just inside the third quarter. Both teams returned most of their core from the previous year.

Guard Maya Williams also provided stout defense on Wekiva star sophomore Jada Eads. The Mustangs sophomore equaled Gustave’s 23 points, but most of those came in the fourth quarter when the Raiders had the game in hand. Berens lauded Williams for her effort against Eads, saying Williams had fought shoulder and back injuries.

“The main thing was to bracket her, because she’s quick and she goes to the basket,” Williams said. “We were trying to stop her from going to the basket, because she creates fouls on us. That’s how she puts up points. If she scores, that’s going to lead the team to success.”

Karina Gordon added 11 points for the Raiders in this year’s victory. She hit two 3-pointers to take some of the defensive heat off Gustave.

 

RAIDERS TRAILED, THEN FOUGHT BACK

Wekiva grabbed a 15-11 first-quarter lead, getting scoring from five different players. But Jada Green scored all six of her points in the second quarter to help the Raiders chip away. Gordon’s layup with 40 seconds left gave the Raiders a 27-24 halftime lead.

The second half belonged to Delray Beach American Heritage transfer Alancia Ramsey. The junior scored 10 of her 12 points in the second half.

“I was just starting to get my touches and making my shots,” Ramsey said. “Once I start making my shots, I’m a fighter.”

The Raiders also held Wekiva scoreless for 4:48 of the third quarter, and Gustave’s 3-pointer with 40 seconds left put STA up 43-32 at the end of the third quarter. Any hopes of a Wekiva comeback were erased when the Raiders scored the fourth quarter’s first nine points. The Raiders led by 20 after Gustave’s layup with 6:16 left made the score 52-32.

All that remained was to celebrate. Berens subbed in his seniors to roll off the final seconds of their championship.

“Even in the slow start, we believed the whole game,” Berens said. “We knew that if we stuck with it for 32 minutes and took it possession by possession, we’d come out on top. The girls played one of the best games all year, in terms of determination and focus. Everyone stepped up, including our bench. Kamryn Corporan and Nyla McFadden, even those kids in addition to (Gustave) and (Ramsey). Everyone played a role in the win.”

 

RAIDERS VARY DEFENSE, OFFENSE

St. Thomas Aquinas coaches and players entered the season with a return trip to Lakeland on their minds. They returned most of their core from last year’s state champion. Berens said that this team differed in that defense determined the Raiders’ destiny.

He said Aquinas’ ability to switch defenses between man-to-man and varying types of zone defenses helped the Raiders. He also credited the team’s versatility on offense.

“We have a lot of kids who can do different things, even Alancia, who can put the ball on the floor and dribble,” Berens said. “All kids can cruise around the basket, and they can all knock down a 3. We’re a team very versatile. We knew if we stayed connected and played with focus, discipline and determination, we’d come out on top.”

Gordon, a junior who won her fourth title after winning two titles at Miami Country Day, led the team again in scoring with 13.8 points per game. She said she wants to win a fifth title. Gustave averaged 9.4 points per game, while Williams added 7.2 points per game.

Berens said Gordon stepped up the last two seasons for the Raiders. “She had huge minutes when we needed her,” Berens said. “She was efficient with the basketball. She really shot the ball well when we needed it, and she was aggressive to the rim.”

The Raiders filled in the gaps with key transfers. Ramsey averaged 12.9 points and a team-high 7.6 rebounds. Corporan, a transfer from Msgr. Pace, also provided key minutes and points off the bench, averaging 4.8 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Sophomore Mya Johnson transferred from Hollywood MacArthur and averaged 3.7 rebounds per game.

“You’ve got to work hard,” Ramsey said. “It’s way different from other programs. I know that I have to push through. I know they were all going for a state championship; they won a state championship last year. I knew that if I’m with them, we’ll put it together.”

The Raiders faced a brutal schedule that included three Florida state champions. The Raiders’ losses were to MaxPreps No. 4 Holmdel (N.J.) St. John Vianney, independent team Daytona Beach DME Academy, 5A champion Plantation American Heritage and a close loss to Miami Country Day.

Pompano Beach Blanche Ely gave the Raiders their toughest tests all season. The Raiders beat the Tigers three times, but all three were close. St. Thomas Aquinas beat Ely 43-39 in the District 14-6A final. The final rematch came in the Region 4 semifinals. The Raiders won again 57-53.

“It was a good game. We executed,” Gordon said. “Ely’s a very talented team. They had a team that stuck together. We were down at one point and came back.”

The Raiders also persevered in the faith despite still having COVID restrictions. Berens said that his team succeeds in setting an example in the community.

“We have people on our team starting service projects, being an inspiration for many,” Berens said. “We try to lead by example. Our girls pray before every single game. We’re huge on faith.”