WEST PALM BEACH – Top-seeded Berean Christian was the favorite coming into its district matchup with second-seeded Boca Raton Christian – and for good reason.
The Lady Bulldogs pulled off the unthinkable in winning their third straight district title (2021, 2022, and 2023) in front of their home crowd with a 55-29 victory over the Lady Blazers last night (Feb. 3).
These two squads are very familiar with one another as they were the top teams in
2A-District 14. In their previous two meetings, Berean Christian took down Boca Christian, 52-42 and 53-28.
Berean (17-6) came out the gates swinging last night as it opened the game with an 8-0 run.
Kalia LaBrec, the leading scorer, ended the first quarter with a 5-0 run of her own.
LaBrec lead all scorers with 19 points and commented on her performance.
“It’s all happens because of my teammates,” LaBrec said. “If they wouldn’t have found me, I wouldn’t have gotten that hot. I love all my teammates. They always know where I am and where to find me.”
LaBrec ended the first half with 14 points, and Berean went into the half with a 24-4 lead.
Yemeli Tavarez was the star of the second half as she clamped down on Boca Christian’s shooters. She led with two fast breaks that shifted all of the momentum to Berean’s stance and sideline going into the fourth quarter.
Aliyah Harris-Green was a key player in the second half as well.
With Berean only dressing seven players, it had to play team ball. And in the fourth quarter, Harris-Green shined with multiple steals and fast break points to lead the Lady Bulldogs defensive attack.
The pair commented on their performances and how they impacted the game.
“I had to reevaluate myself after the first half,” Tavarez said. “I seen I was struggling on offense so I redirected that towards my defense, getting the ball to my teammates, and converting my game.”
“I was really trying to win and do God’s work,”Harris-Green said. “I was there to help my teammates get shots off and bring good energy to win this game.”
Berean’s one-two punch and points in paint Dylande Innocent and Ashley Hendricks played major roles in keeping Boca Christian (16-8) off the board. They they blocked shots and weaved through traffic to make tough layups.
“We really came together overall,” Innocent said. “I’m proud of my teammates as well as myself. I’m excited we were able to get this three timer (district title).”
“Early on I knew I had to be aggressive,”Hendricks said. “I gained some great confidence and got passes from my teammates.
Berean girls head basketball coach Kevin Green isn’t a stranger to winning. But it was clear that this victory felt different as the entire crowd cheered him and the team while they hosited the district championship trophy.
See video below.
Green was nearly moved to tears during his post game interview as he explained what it took for his team to get to this point with support from the parents, the Berean Christian administration, and the school’s staff.
See video below.
Berean Christian’s girls will be a top dog going into the FHSAA state playoffs. They are looking to make it past regionals in the coming weeks.
NOTE: The FHSAA Girls Basketball Selection Show will take place on Sunday (Feb. 5) at 2 p.m. You can see which team Berean Christian will be hosting sometime next week in the Class 2A-Region 4 quarterfinal round and more.
