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Opportunity knocks; only Wildcats answer

PORT ORANGE -- Lecanto knew exactly where to lay the blame after its 58-47 loss to Port Orange Atlantic in the Class 4A, Region 2 semifinals.

On itself.

In a game that either team could have won, the Panthers gave away any shot they had of advancing by committing 24 turnovers, 15 in the first half.

"I guess we kind of choked," Lecanto forward Curtis Laytart said. "We didn't take care of the ball like we usually do."

Even with the turnovers, the Panthers had their chances.

After trailing by as many as 11 points in the first half, Lecanto (16-11) rallied in the second and third quarters by outscoring the Sharks 29-20. A short jumper by center Dalton Meyers with 1:18 left in the third quarter tied it at 35, and the Panthers had momentum on their side.

But less than a minute later, with a chance to take its first lead, Lecanto turned the ball over and Atlantic guard Kyle Lefebvre converted a layup at the other end to put the Sharks back on top.

This time, they kept the lead for good.

"That was a key turnover at a key time," Lecanto coach Chris Nichols said.

Lecanto stayed with Atlantic early in the fourth quarter, but the Sharks (21-8) seized control on a 3-pointer by Denver Cobb with 6:10 left that gave them a six-point lead. The Panthers closed to within 49-44 on a Meyers score with 2:01 remaining, but Atlantic answered by hitting 5 of 6 free throws in the next 49 seconds to put the game out of reach.

"I think we used so much energy coming back that we didn't have enough energy to finish it off," Nichols said. "But you've got to give the kids credit. They made a tremendous comeback."

Lecanto's start was much worse than its finish.

The Panthers had more turnovers (eight) than points in the first quarter and trailed 17-6 after eight minutes.

Meyers, who worked hard inside all night before fouling out late with 13 points, was the only Lecanto player to score in the quarter.

Lecanto continued to give the ball away in the second, but had an easier time finding the basket. Laytart scored nine of his team-high 15 points in the quarter and sparked a 13-4 run that brought Lecanto back into it.

After being dominated in the first quarter, the Panthers trailed just 26-21 at the half.

"The bottom line ... we started slow," Nichols said. "We turned the ball over way too much in the first quarter. I thought we settled down in the second quarter and got back on track."

Guard Kyle Hamilton (11 points), Meyers and Laytart had the bulk of Lecanto's points.

Cobb (16 points) and Lefebvre (11 points) were the Sharks' top scorers.

"That's a very good team," Nichols said. "It's not like we came in and lost to a team that didn't play well. They played better than us and deserved to win."

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