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CLASS 4A: Ridgewood again makes its coach less comfortable in the fourth quarter but hangs on to beat Ocala Vanguard 68-57.
By STEVE LEE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published March 5, 2003
NEW PORT RICHEY -- For the second straight playoff game, Ridgewood gave away a lead that coach Gary Anders figured was too good to last.
And again, the Rams survived to advance.
Ridgewood led Ocala Vanguard by 11 points at halftime and by 18 heading into the final quarter, then hung on to win 68-57 in Tuesday's semifinal.
The Rams, who squandered a 17-point lead before beating East Ridge in the quarterfinals, host a region final at 7:30 p.m. Saturday against Gainesville Eastside, which defeated Leesburg 52-46.
Chris Halkitis scored 12 of his game-high 26 in the first quarter as Ridgewood, ranked fourth in the state, took a 22-9 lead.
The Rams (28-2) led 36-25 at halftime thanks in part to Andrew Reed, who scored 15 of his 23 before the break.
"We shot the lights out in the first half," said Anders, while drying off after a bath of ice and water. "We know that's not always going to stay with you for 32 minutes."
It didn't.
The Knights' 28.6 percent shooting percentage paled in comparison to the Rams' 54.3, but Ocala Vanguard climbed out of an 18-point hole with a 23-16 fourth-quarter advantage. A 10-0 run, sparked by Jordan Carrier's six points, cut Ridgewood's lead to 59-55.
Enter Chris Gunter, who came off the bench late in the fourth and wound up with six points. Gunter's two breakaway layups quickly gave the Rams a 63-55 lead that the Knights never recovered from.
"He had a turnover where it looked like he was looking for a place to hide, but he made those free throws (before Ocala Vanguard's 10-0 run) and had a couple of breakaway baskets there," Anders said.
"All year long we've had somebody step up and the kids have a lot of pride," Anders continued. "They accept their roles. They just believe in the team."
Carrier, whose 16 points led three Knights in double figures, tried to get his team back in the game. He took four 3-point shots in the final three minutes but missed them all with Reed, who had 14 rebounds, snaring three of those errant attempts.
Aaron Ball and Clifford Floyd each added 12 points for No. 9 Ocala Vanguard (23-8).
"They got a lot of heart," Anders said of his players. "They like playing in big games, I'll give them that."