Lakeland Fl- Windermere Prep’s Brandon Bass Jr drove baseline with less than 5 seconds left in the game when he went up for a layup that went in for the score. A whistle on the play would call Providence for a foul and the basket would count. Bass would sink the free throw to give the Lakers the win with .01 seconds on the clock. Windermere Prep advanced to the Class 3A State Championship for the second year in a row.
@WPS_Basketball with the game tying basket and knocks down the FT to give the Lakers the WIN and a birth in the Class 3A State Championship for the second year in a row.
— FHSAA (@FHSAA) February 29, 2024
Final @provschool 38@WPS_Basketball 39#FHSAA #CLASS3A pic.twitter.com/3XeXLw7PuK
It was a devastating ending to the spirited contest as both teams went back and forth all game. Providence’s Chris Arias led the team with 7 points at the half. All year he led Providence averaging 13.9 points per game. However, Providence put a complete team effort on the court against Windermere Prep. Caleb McAbee(11.8ppg) and David Fonville (9.9ppg) both led the team with 11 points in the game as Providence took a 35-31 lead in the fourth quarter when McAbee made a big 3-pointer.
After a Brady Patterson free throw gave Providence a 38-33 lead, Brandon Bass Jr would take over. He hit a big shot to cut the lead to 38-36 with less than a minute to play. After a stop on defense, Bass Jr would get the pass from Gustavo Roca and convert the off schedule play to tie the game. The free throw would seal their fate.
The game was indicative of two top teams in the state, as both teams put the clamps down on defense. The low scoring affair would come down to one play and unfortunately for Providence, that call was not afforded to them.
The Providence loss was devastating as the team was led by seniors at key positions in the starting lineup. Their experience showed in every game this year, as the team achieved a 24-6 record, a Class 3A District 3 championship, and a Regional championship.
