Lakewood edges Bogie

By JEREMY WRITT
Published December 10, 2005

ST PETERSBURG - After opening the season with seven wins, the Pirates took their first loss Wednesday against Largo. Determined not to let his girls get a second taste of defeat, Boca Ciega coach William White had his team well-prepared for the favored Spartans.

They were not, however, ready for Kquanise Byrd, who powered Lakewood to a 59-57 win.

"Honestly I didn't realize she was as good as she was one-on-one. We really had trouble," White said.

After scoring a third of Lakewood's 27 first-half points, Byrd made sure the Pirates didn't get the upset. The junior guard scored seven of Lakewood's 17 points in the pivotal third quarter, helping her team build a 44-39 lead going into the fourth quarter. Her coach, Necole Tunsil, who was an All-American at Lakewood herself, could not help but give high praise.

"Listen. Kquanise is the No. 1 guard in Pinellas County. I don't believe that somebody can totally shut her down. She has it all," she said.

Bird finished with a game-high 23 points. Fellow junior Jazmyn Shorter added 18 points inside to give Lakewood offensive balance.

"I'm really blessed to have Shorter and Byrd and they're just juniors. So they're coming back next year. They played phenomenal basketball tonight," Tunsil said.

Lakewood needed every bit of their effort to stave off the Pirates, who refused to quit. Boca Ciega (7-2) overcame a hostile crowd and a 10-point deficit with just under four minutes remaining thanks to two huge 3-pointers from freshman guard Tory Stephens. The Pirates got within a basket as Lakewood committed turnovers on two out their last three possessions, the second coming with just 37 seconds left in the game.

[Last modified December 10, 2005, 00:52:07]