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Wildcats surge past Pasco in overtime

BARTOW -- Wesley Chapel erased an 11-point halftime deficit and then needed a buzzer-beater to send Pasco into overtime Friday. However, the Wildcats used their stellar free-throw shooting in the extra frame to outlast the Pirates 70-66.

Top-seeded Wesley Chapel (21-8) earned a playoff berth and a spot in tonight's district final against the winner of Friday's Bartow-Mulberry semifinal.

Pasco (11-18) and Wesley Chapel exchanged the lead six times in the final four minutes. Pasco could have pulled away from the Wildcats but it hit 2-of-8 free-throws in the fourth quarter.

Pasco's Izele Wilson did hit 1-of-2 from the line with 19.7 seconds left in regulation to give Pasco a 62-60 edge.

On the subsequent possession, Wesley Chapel's Kent Mills dished to Sandor Riholm. However, Pasco's Devon Hicks blocked Riholm's shot. With two seconds left, Mills grabbed the loose ball and hit a 6-footer in the lane to tie the game at the buzzer.

Wesley Chapel rode that momentum in the overtime, outscoring Pasco 6-0 in the first three minutes. The shell-shocked Pirates turned the ball over five times in the overtime.

The Wildcats fell into their early hole thanks to turnovers. Wesley Chapel committed 15 in the first half, helping the Pirates build a double-digit lead.

Wesley Chapel coach Kent Mills delivered a wake-up call for his lackluster team at halftime.

"I told them, "You've got 16 minutes to either prove you're a basketball team or not. Bottom line,"' Mills said. "Are you a basketball team in this county? You have 16 minutes to figure it out."

Wesley Chapel's Eric Sorensen answered his coach's call in the third quarter. The junior guard scored 17 of the Wildcats' 20 points in the frame. Sorensen was 8-for-8 from the field with three 3-pointers.

His shooting shaved Pasco's edge to 46-43 after the third quarter. The Wildcats continued to surge early in the fourth, using an 11-4 run to take a 54-50 lead with 5:47 to play.

Pasco's Johnny Peyton finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks.

Sorensen led the Wildcats with 23 points.

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