Big third quarter sparks LHS girls to playoff win

Published 11:29 am Friday, February 15, 2019

MAYO, Fla. — A third-quarter flurry drove Lafayette past Williston in a Class 1A regional semifinal on Thursday.

After going into halftime tied, LHS broke the game and emerged with a 51-41 victory. Lafayette outscored Williston 17-4 in the third, which included an 11-0 run to start.  

Senior Jasmine Lewis (24 points, 14 rebounds) got the Hornets going with a three-point play on the first possession of the third quarter, receiving an inbounds pass and finishing a layup through contact. Charlie James hit a 3-pointer on the Hornets’ next trip down the floor. Renee Clines followed with a layup and then James knocked down another 3-pointer. In a matter of minutes, Lafayette’s lead grew to 40-29.

“I’ll I can say is I’m thankful for those three or four minutes,” Blankenship said of the start to the third quarter. “We had a couple breaks and got on a little roll. Made the right plays at the right time that gave us the distance we needed.”

The Red Devils gave the home team a scare, especially after dominating early and taking a 20-12 lead in the second quarter. 

Lewis responded by making four free throws in the final minute of the first half to help the Hornets tie the game at 29 heading into the break. She took advantage of her opportunities at the line, making 10 of 13 free throws. 

“Not happy with how we played, but happy we’re moving on,” said Blankenship. “I think it maybe came down to our playoff experience. We’ve been here for a number of years. We made the plays when we needed to.”

Despite battling foul trouble, Clines had a productive game with 10 points, four assists and three steals. Foul trouble was a theme for the night. Williston’s standout guard Lauryn Jackson was forced to sit on the bench for much of the third period and eventually fouled out with 2:11 remaining in the fourth quarter.  

After scoring 48 points against Lafayette in a regular season win, Jackson finished with 19 points on Thursday. Jackson scored 10 points in the first quarter and was the difference maker for Williston (16-9) when she was on the floor.       

Lafayette (22-3) will travel to Hawthorne on Tuesday for a regional final. The winner will earn a trip to Lakeland and the Final Four.  

Lafayette (22-3) – Jasmine Lewis 24, Renee Clines 10, Charlie James 8, Khari Jackson 5, Haley Rosenbaum 2, Brooklyn Fleming 2