ST. PETERSBURG - Boca Ciega coach William White was both pessimistic and hopeful before Tuesday night's Hooters Holiday Shootout championship game against Seminole.
Much to White's chagrin, Seminole survived a slow shooting start and came back to beat Boca Ciega 57-47 at the Bayfront Center.
The Pirates squandered an 11-point lead in the second quarter and trailed 24-23 at the half.
Seminole sophomore Chelse Patterson capped off a 13-0 run when she sank a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give Seminole its first lead.
"That three we took put us up and gave us confidence for the second half," Seminole coach Dave Swanson said.
Patterson led all scorers with 26 points.
Swanson switched to a 3-2 zone that seemed to confuse the Pirates. They scored just three in the second quarter.
Junior guard Alli Fogle also had a strong performance. She scored 13, second only to Patterson.
Seminole trailed 35-33 at the beginning of the fourth quarter; then the Warhawks went on their second big run, scoring 14 unanswered points. The Pirates were held scoreless for more than five minutes during that stretch.
BOYS: In the third-place game, Zaronn Cann scored Brandon's first eight points and 14 of his game-high 21 in the first quarter as the Eagles beat Pleasure Ridge, Ky., 58-50. The play of the 6-foot-6 junior forward was a big part of Brandon's first quarter 11-0 run that was the difference in an otherwise close game.
