DADE CITY - To Nature Coast Tech coach Jason Montgomery, the Sharks couldn't do anything right in Saturday's Class 3A, District 6 final.
"The whole game there were three things that didn't happen," Montgomery said. "Mallory (Freeman) got touches in the first half and didn't finish. We had open perimeter looks for our two best shooters, and besides two 3s, we didn't hit anything from the perimeter. Then, we go to the line and we were just atrocious.
"This is probably my most disappointing loss in 11 years."
Keep in mind that the first-year school only lost 39-36 to Pasco.
The Sharks (14-9) even grabbed a small lead before halftime, going up 19-16. That seemed to set off the Pirates, who closed the first half with a 7-0 run.
Circumstances didn't improve after halftime as Pasco (20-2) scored the opening basket, then responded to Cara Cagan's 3 with a 5-0 run to lead 30-22.
"We played some tough games," Pasco coach Tony Vasquez said. "The Ridgewood game, we were down 17 at halftime. We have a good group of kids who don't lose their composure often."
Pasco built the lead to 10, then Nature Coast's Freeman scored six of her game-high 13 in the third. Freeman added 10 rebounds. The Sharks narrowed the margin to six after three quarters, though they doubled their turnovers with six in the third.
A-5: Warriors romp in first district title
CITRUS SPRINGS - Seven Rivers Christian outshot, outrebounded and outdefended its opponent.
In fact, the only area in which the Warriors weren't better than Ocala St. John Lutheran was the free-throw line. But that hardly mattered as Seven Rivers delivered a 39-16 triumph to secure the Warriors' first district title.
"The girls did awesome," Seven Rivers coach Brian Ludwick said.
The teams split during the regular season, but this one was never close. The top-seeded Warriors (16-2) opened a 12-3 first-quarter lead and were ahead by at least double digits the entire second half.
"It's very exciting," Warriors guard Danielle Toms said. "I was pretty sure we'd win if we played a good game. We just kept the pressure on and kept our intensity."
Seven Rivers was led by forward Rachel Ebert, who alone outscored St. John Lutheran, finishing with 20 points. Guard Amy Cortese added eight points and forward Rachael Capra had seven.
The Warriors reached the final by holding Hernando Christian to 15 points in the semifinals. Ocala St. John Lutheran (9-16), the No. 2 seed, was limited to five field goals and two fourth-quarter points.
"Our defense (was the difference)," Capra said. "We really picked it up."
