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Clearwater gets title shot

LAKELAND -- In the end, Clearwater reverted to form. A close game? That just didn't feel right.

Winter Springs gave the Tornadoes all they could handle through three quarters of the Class 5A state semifinals Wednesday night at the Lakeland Center, but Clearwater found one more of its patented runs to beat the Bears 63-53.

Clearwater, No. 2 in the state, will play No. 1 South Broward at 7 p.m. Friday for the state title. The two-time defending champion Bulldogs defeated Fort Walton Beach 49-37.

Winter Springs (28-5), a state finalist last year in 6A, was a worthy foe for three quarters, playing Clearwater to a 38-38 tie. But the Tornadoes (33-1) strung together runs of 9-2 and 10-2 in the fourth quarter to pull away and continue its dominating season.

Since its lone loss to Bradenton Southeast on Jan. 5, Clearwater has won 15 consecutive games, all by double digits.

"We're just lucky to get the little run when we need it," Clearwater coach Tom Shaneyfelt said. "That's what these games amount to in the playoffs when you get two fairly even teams."

Senior Kasie Muchler started the fourth quarter with a drive down the left baseline to the basket, then Winter Springs answered with a Tasa Seibert layup off a Jen Forst pass.

Muchler answered with a 3-pointer from the left corner, and after a quick missed trey by the Bears, Rachel Hammond drilled a jumper. Forst missed at the other end and Clearwater stormed out on a break, with Karen Braden converting a layup from a Dominique Redding feed.

Just like that, 1 minute, 47 seconds into the fourth quarter, Clearwater had equaled its largest lead of the game at 47-40.

Winter Springs got four of the points back with baskets from Seibert and Forst only to see Clearwater burst out again. Braden, who was a perfect seven of seven from the field, hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 50-44.

One minute later, Braden fed Redding for a layup, and later the favor was returned to put Clearwater up 56-46.

Redding and Muchler, the last holdovers from Clearwater's 2000 state tournament team, had 17 and 16 points, respectively.

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