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Full gym growing on Plant

TAMPA -- Beside applying some touches to a strong defense and improving the shooting, Plant coaches wanted to add one facet this season.

It was a thing of the 1970s, assistant coach Eddie Flom recalls, and it sometimes made all the difference in the world.

"We wanted to return the crowd, the atmosphere to the game," Flom said. "We've taken a step every year to get more kids and families in here."

As predicted, when Plant completed the construction of its gym last year, people came. The success of the Panthers didn't hurt either.

"Our student body, our community in the stands ... that's worth eight to 10 points right there," head coach Mike Phillips said.

"We came out on a 14-2 run last Thursday (against Lake Wales)," he said, "and a lot of that was attributed to the fans' reaction."

Tonight at 7:30, though, Plant may need more than a packed gym of 1,800. In fact, point guard Tyler Azzarelli hopes there won't be too much emotion in a regional semifinal against Lakewood -- just perfect basketball.

"I always try to be as calm as possible because I have the ball in my hand," Azzarelli said. "I try not to get fired up."

It will be difficult for the No. 4 Panthers not to think about Lakewood's No. 2 state ranking. And it will be hard to forget that one of the teams Plant lost to this season, Boca Ciega, fell to the Spartans twice.

But the Panthers (25-5) will concentrate on what they do best. They will try to counter Lakewood's speed and heavy press with their trademark defense and smart passing.

"If we can stay in the game for the first three quarters, then we can definitely be in the fourth," Phillips said.

Plant's defense has a 53 points-against average. It has a 43 points-against mark in the past four games. Another improvement the Panthers have seen in that span is a surge in balanced scoring.

While Azzarelli, Kyle Knecht and Mike Williams have shared the load as the top scorers, wing players Jonathan Seber and Michael Cincunegui have reached double digits. Brad Birrenkott, a 6-foot-5 post player, intimidates from the inside and often dominates the boards -- one of the Spartans' few weaknesses.

"It just depends on how you look at it," Knecht said of the matchup. "How we feel, how they feel ... We're playing here, but I'm not thinking about it like that. We have to play like it's just another game."

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