Lakeland FL- Forty nine, that’s the number of times the Bishop Mc Laughlin Hurricanes went to the foul line in the Class 3A State semifinals. They shot 75% from the charity stripe. Meanwhile, the Jackson Tigers went to the foul line just nineteen times shooting 59% in the line. It was a glaring difference in the game that in the end stifled the aggressive style of play that Jackson has accustomed themselves to playing all year.
That style of play seemed work early on in the contest, as Jackson took a 14-6 lead in the first quarter. Jackson senior forward Davin Daniels matched up defensively against Hurricane senior guard Emanuel Sharp. Sharp was the focal point of the Bishop McLaughlin offense coming into the game, and it was paramount that Jackson stopped him. Well Daniels and company did that in the first quarter. Daniels denied driving lanes, hit a big lay up, while Jackie Simmons III nailed a 3-pointer.
The second quarter was a different story however. Instead of Sharp being a ball handler, Sharp began to move without the ball. This strategy worked by the Hurricanes as they chipped away at Jackson’s lead. Sharp hit shot after shot, including a long 3-pointer from 23 feet out taking advantage of the zone defense Jackson. He closed out the first half with 28 points as Bishop McLaughlin went on a 32-9 run. Jackson struggled to hit shots from the field and found themselves in a 15 point hole at halftime 38-23.
Jackson mounted an aggressive and methodical comeback in the third quarter. Defense by Daniels, James Morrow and Jaden Brill forced turnovers and baskets. Jackson got as close as 4 points in the third, when Rickie Shaw hit a big field goal and Andre Myers hit a jumper.
At this point there was good news and bad news for the Tigers. The good news was, they had cut the 15 point halftime lead to 7 going into the fourth. The bad news was, their customary aggressive play rendered them in foul trouble. Daniels, Brill, Shaw, and Morrow all had 4 fouls a piece heading into the fourth quarter.
In the fourth, Bishop Mc Laughlin hit shots and knocked down free throws as Jackson was over the foul limit midway through the third quarter. Center 6’8 Matthew Webster took advantage of the smaller lineup for Jackson when the Hurricanes beat the press scoring down low. In the end, it was too much for Jackson to overcome, as they fell in the Final 4 to Bishop Mc Laughlin 79-71.
Jackson made its third consecutive trip to the Final 4, and moved into the fourth place all time as the school with the most tournament visits. The Tigers finished 19-7 on the season. Seniors like Davin Daniels, Jackie Simmons III, Bryce Turner, and Marquez Ray will be missed. But returning are Rickie Shaw, Jaden Brill, Andre Myers, Stephon Payne and James Morrow, all big contributors on the team.
Top Scorers:
Bishop Mc Laughlin
Emanuel Sharp 39
Dillon Mitchell 12
Jackie Simmons 17
Bryce Turner 13
