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JACKSONVILLE — Oak Ridge was oh so close to getting another shot at Class 7A powerhouse Miami Columbus and a boys basketball state championship on Friday afternoon.
But the Pioneers let a seven-point fourth quarter lead slip out of their grasp and lost, 53-48, to Sarasota High in a bruising basketball semifinal at the University of North Florida.
Oak Ridge, which finished 20-10 in a rollercoaster season against a tough schedule, went scoreless for nearly five minutes down the stretch. Both teams made big plays in the closing minutes, but the Sailors (25-6) performed best in prime time.
“We just got undisciplined at the end,” Oak Ridge coach Steve Reece said. “We got to the final four. The boys played hard. Hats off to Sarasota. They did a good job.”
The Sailors, who trailed by 10 in the first half, got huge scores by senior baseball/basketball standout Johnny Lackaff in the final 4:31. His cold-blooded 3-pointer from well beyond the top of the key gave his team the lead in an 8-0 run. After an Oak Ridge miss, Lackaff found a gap, attacked the rim, and scored again when his layup was ruled a goaltending basket to make it 47-43.
Oak Ridge junior Whitfield Bynoe answered by making a 3-pointer from the corner to cut the deficit to 47-46. Two free throws by Lackaff made it 49-46 but again the Pioneers responded. Sophomore Jahmar Smith came from outside the lane to put back a missed shot and cut the SHS lead to 49-48 with 50.2 seconds to go.
Oak Ridge stole the ball and had another point-blank shot, but it was rejected by Sarasota’s Sam Reindel, leading to two free throws made by Isaiah Jenkins and a 51-48 margin.
The Pioneers still had a chance, but Sarasota had fouls to give and used three to stop the clock at 15.1, 13.3 and 8.7 seconds remaining. With the clock clicking, Oak Ridge senior star Donovan Williams, a UCF recruit, launched a contested 3-point attempt that missed. Sarasota retrieved the rebound and finished the game with Greg Dauer dunking as its fans went wild.
Lackaff led all scorers with 16 points for Sarasota, which will play Columbus (25-6) in Saturday’s title game. The Explorers rolled to a 68-42 win against Lake Mary in their semifinal.
Bynoe played all 32 minutes and led Oak Ridge with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He was 3-for-3 on 3-pointers.
Tim Winkler, Oak Ridge’s senior center, had 12 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots and was a catalyst early as the Pioneers went on a 15-0 run to build a 19-9 lead.
Williams had eight points, five assists and three steals but struggled on his shots (3-of-14).
Oak Ridge’s storied hoops history dates to the 1970s and includes 10 state tournament appearances. The Pioneers have a 6-9 record in final four games, including semifinal victories in 1989, 2010, 2012, 2018 and 2024. They won a state championship in 2018, which was Reece’s debut season as a high school coach, and were runners-up in 2024.
UCF signee Donovan Williams back in home court | Boys Basketball Preview
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at [email protected].
Continue reading...
But the Pioneers let a seven-point fourth quarter lead slip out of their grasp and lost, 53-48, to Sarasota High in a bruising basketball semifinal at the University of North Florida.
Oak Ridge, which finished 20-10 in a rollercoaster season against a tough schedule, went scoreless for nearly five minutes down the stretch. Both teams made big plays in the closing minutes, but the Sailors (25-6) performed best in prime time.
“We just got undisciplined at the end,” Oak Ridge coach Steve Reece said. “We got to the final four. The boys played hard. Hats off to Sarasota. They did a good job.”
The Sailors, who trailed by 10 in the first half, got huge scores by senior baseball/basketball standout Johnny Lackaff in the final 4:31. His cold-blooded 3-pointer from well beyond the top of the key gave his team the lead in an 8-0 run. After an Oak Ridge miss, Lackaff found a gap, attacked the rim, and scored again when his layup was ruled a goaltending basket to make it 47-43.
Oak Ridge junior Whitfield Bynoe answered by making a 3-pointer from the corner to cut the deficit to 47-46. Two free throws by Lackaff made it 49-46 but again the Pioneers responded. Sophomore Jahmar Smith came from outside the lane to put back a missed shot and cut the SHS lead to 49-48 with 50.2 seconds to go.
Oak Ridge stole the ball and had another point-blank shot, but it was rejected by Sarasota’s Sam Reindel, leading to two free throws made by Isaiah Jenkins and a 51-48 margin.
The Pioneers still had a chance, but Sarasota had fouls to give and used three to stop the clock at 15.1, 13.3 and 8.7 seconds remaining. With the clock clicking, Oak Ridge senior star Donovan Williams, a UCF recruit, launched a contested 3-point attempt that missed. Sarasota retrieved the rebound and finished the game with Greg Dauer dunking as its fans went wild.
Lackaff led all scorers with 16 points for Sarasota, which will play Columbus (25-6) in Saturday’s title game. The Explorers rolled to a 68-42 win against Lake Mary in their semifinal.
Bynoe played all 32 minutes and led Oak Ridge with 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting. He was 3-for-3 on 3-pointers.
Tim Winkler, Oak Ridge’s senior center, had 12 points, four rebounds and three blocked shots and was a catalyst early as the Pioneers went on a 15-0 run to build a 19-9 lead.
Williams had eight points, five assists and three steals but struggled on his shots (3-of-14).
Oak Ridge’s storied hoops history dates to the 1970s and includes 10 state tournament appearances. The Pioneers have a 6-9 record in final four games, including semifinal victories in 1989, 2010, 2012, 2018 and 2024. They won a state championship in 2018, which was Reece’s debut season as a high school coach, and were runners-up in 2024.
UCF signee Donovan Williams back in home court | Boys Basketball Preview
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at [email protected].
Continue reading...
