LAKELAND – For the first time, St. Andrews undisputedly reigns supreme in boys basketball as state champions.
The Scots (26-5 final record) overcame a second-half rally by Andrew Jackson (25-4 final record) to reach the Class 3A summit in a thrilling 57-50 victory at RP Funding Center. The state title was secured after St. Andrews went on a 8-2 run to end it all.
Up just 49-48 with just 2:12 left in the fourth quarter, the game could have literally gone either way. But it was all St. Andrews from that critical juncture, as senior guard Jackson May scored the first four of those final eight points to help seal the deal.
On one of those critical late possessions, Scots junior small forward Josh Minott went full speed down the court to attempt a driving layup. Minott missed the shot, but May was right there to clean it up by quickly grabbing the offensive rebound and subsequent lay-in.
And with 56.1 seconds left, the drive of this game happened when senior center Yussif Basa-ama made his shot on a finger roll. This was set up by a steal from May.
Those two plays in particular sent the crowd into a frenzy. And with St. Andrew’s taking a 55-48 lead over Andrew Jackson, it was clear from there how this state title game would turn out.
Basa-ama finished the game with 23 points. Minott added 13 points, which May had 7 points.
Prep Hoops Florida lead scout Jake Perper was there to take in all the action with St. Andrews. He provided his commentary on what transpired.
“Yussif was a monster on the boards and working hard to score,” Perper said. “Josh’s length is an issue. He is going to be a high major kid. And Jackson May put the game away at 49-48 with 4 straight points, as they went on a 7-0 run. That was a wrap.”
As a team, St. Andrew’s shot 46.5 percent of its field goals, while hitting 37.5 percent of its 3-pointers. The Scots defense limited the Tigers to 33.3 percent shooting throughout the game.
“It’s just an incredible feeling,” St. Andrew’s head coach John O’Connell told media members in the postgame press conference. “It was so many ups and downs in that game.”
It took O’Connell 35 years to win his first state title as the St. Andrew’s head coach. It’s safe to say that the Scots really earned this one.
“If you look at the top five teams in 3A, all may be top 20 in the state,” O’Connell told Pat Lammer I’d Source Hoops and other media members in attendance. “We had to go through the other four. You know, we had to go through [three-time defending state champion] Westminster [Academy], through Santa Fe Catholic, then to Chaminade, and then to Andrew Jackson. So of the top five teams, we had to go through the other four, and then we’re the fifth. So this is truly an accomplishment to get to this point.”
There were seven ties and three lead changes in the 3A state title game. St. Andrew’s led 11-10 after the first quarter ended and went on take a 33-24 halftime lead.
But Andrew Jackson stormed back in the third quarter and most of the fourth, as its 22-13 run resulted in a tie score of 46-all late in the final frame. From there, we all know what happened.
NOTES: Other scorers from St. Andrew’s were junior power forward Kenny Turner (6 points), junior point guard Landon Brody (4 points), and junior guard Devin Hines (4 points).
Scots senior guard Koby Pelissier led his teammates with 5 assists, while Basa-ama led the way with 7 rebounds. Brody, Hines, and Minott were co-leaders with 2 steals each.
PHOTO CREDITS: Pat Lammer (Source Hoops) and FHSAA
