JACKSONVILLE – Orlando Christian Prep coach Stephanee Velez said her team was not at its offensive best in a FHSAA Class 1A girls basketball semifinal game on Thursday.
That’s not surprising considering the Warriors are playing without senior Rosemarie Lisojo, the team’s leader in scoring (12.7 points per game), assists (5.9) and steals (3.6).
“She was our everything,” Velez said.
But even with Lisojo sitting on the bench with a cast and crutches, out for the fourth game in a row, OCP managed to win convincingly, 57-49. The Warriors dominated the boards, outrebounding the Stingrays 38-23, and used second chances to produce the points they needed in the opening game of Week 2 of the FHSAA state tournament at the University of North Florida.
OCP (21-7), in its first state tournament since 2019, will play for the state championship on Saturday at noon. They will face the winner of the second semifinal, which pitted No. 1 ranked Grandview Prep (24-4) against a hometown favorite, North Florida Educational Institute (16-14) of Jacksonville.
The Warriors shot a torrid 54.1% from the floor (20-of-37) with second chance points boosting those numbers. They were 16-of-21 on free throws and scored 38 points in the paint. That included most of the 25 points OCP scored on fastbreak opportunities.
The Warriors pushed the ball upcourt after misses, makes or miscues by Seacrest. That transition train and ball movement led to a slew of baskets at close range.
And their tenacity on the other end of the floor was crucial. Seacrest (21-7) was held to 28.6% shooting.
“I think the biggest thing for us is sharing the ball and defense,” Velez said. “Today, defense is what made the difference for us.”
Breyanna Blount, a 6-foot-3 senior, scored 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. She was 4-of-5 on free throws and collected 13 rebounds.
Blount said afterward that her team was unselfish with the guards feeding the post and the bigs kicking the ball back out to give guards shots.
Brakayla Anderson scored 16 points for OCP. Boniyha Simpson added 13 and ninth grader Bianna Nolan added 10 points and 4 assists.
Boniyah Simpson of Orlando Christian Prep had 13 points and 6 rebounds in the Warriors’ state semifinal victory. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
OCP led for three and half quarters, by as much as 15, but had to stave off several threats.
The last of those came after the Warriors built the 38-23 advantage in the final minute of the third period. Seacrest went to its chase defense and managed to cut the difference to 47-41 with 2:18 remaining. The Warriors held on with Anderson and Nolan combined to go 6-for-6 on free throws in the final 34.5 seconds.
OCP was credited with eight first half assists compared to just one by Seacrest. The Warriors took charge with a 16-3 run that gave it a 22-10 lead just before halftime. Blount scored 11 of those points. She had 13 in the first half.
The second quarter was a different story with OCP scoring only four points as its lead dwindled to 24-18. The Warriors defense prevented any further damage with defensive effort that limited Seacrest to only six points in the period.
OCP will be in its fifth girls state final game. The Warriors won the 1A state championship in 2005. They lost semifinal games in 2004, 2006 and 2019.
OCP, CFCA open bids for basketball state championships in Jacksonville
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.