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Preps

Gators doomed from start

CLASS 4A: Land O'Lakes' woes began before the game got under way, then things got worse.

By JAMAL THALJI, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 26, 2003

GAINESVILLE -- The breakdowns started right away for Land O'Lakes. Like right off the interstate.

The team bus broke down as soon as it pulled off I-75 before Tuesday night's semifinal at Gainesville Eastside. The game started 30 minutes late as the Gators rushed through their warm-ups.

Then the real breakdowns began.

Eastside handily defeated Land O'Lakes 70-38, taking advantage of errant passes, stolen passes, blind passes, you name it. If it could go wrong, it did for the Gators.

"I hate to start the night off like we did," Land O'Lakes coach Greg Robinson said. "Coming down here, having a breakdown, we get in there late, everybody's rushing to get ready.

"That explained the first quarter. Then we get into foul trouble, and we just played slow from the start."

The Rams jumped out to a 12-4 lead in that sluggish first quarter. It was already 8-0 before the Gators scored off a Jen Robinson jumper.

But then Eastside was a slow starter, too. The second quarter was won by the Rams 17-9. Then Land O'Lakes started out the third this way: steal, steal, turnover, steal, steal. Already down 29-13 and in foul trouble at the half, that led to a 14-0 Rams run to start the third and a commanding 28-point lead. Land O'Lakes lost the third 22-8, and couldn't get the ball past midcourt, or into the paint, without a mishap.

"Again, our downfall has been passing up the court," Robinson said. "That's been our downfall when we face a real good, hard press. When we played Leesburg we passed the ball pretty easy, so I was surprised to see us have so much trouble."

To be fair, Eastside was too fast, too athletic and just too accurate. The Rams rolled up 21 steals. Combine that with eight 3-pointers, and the lopsided score seemed inevitable. Tristan McCray led Eastside with 18 points, and Katrice Mulberry had nine points and nine steals.

Land O'Lakes was led by Robinson's 12. Roshaunda Washington had eight, and both sank two treys apiece.

Eastside (25-3), ranked fifth in the Class 4A poll, advances to Saturday's region final showdown at third-ranked Ocala Vanguard (30-2).

But Land O'Lakes (19-9) isn't done, either. Every player on the roster returns next season from a team that surprised itself by reaching the region semifinal round.

"We'll be ready next year," Washington said.

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