LAKELAND – After following one game short of a state title last year, North Florida Educational Institute made sure it didn’t happen this year pounding Schoolhouse Prep 62-48 in the Class 2A state semifinals today in Lakeland.
With the exception of a brief 3-2 lead to start the game, NFEI led from start to finish taking a five point lead into the second quarter and extending it to as high as 19 late in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles, who are making their fourth Final Four appearance, were led by four guys in double figures including senior Kenneth Johnson who led with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Deangelo Elisee chipped in 10 points and 8 rebounds, sophomore Jashawne Josephs added 10 points and 7 rebounds and sophomore Saevion Brown who contributed 10 points and 6 rebounds.
Elisee jumper gave the Eagles their first lead of the game at 4-3 with 5:19 left in the first.
Another Elisee jumper and a three-pointer from Josephs extended the lead to 9-4 just two minutes later.
Trailing 13-8 at the end of the first quarter, the Schoolhouse Prep Wolfpack (19-11) closed the gap at 13-10 early in the second.
That was as close as the Wolfpack would get as the Eagles went on a 9-0 run to extend their lead to 22-10 with 5:03 left in the second quarter.
After seeing the Wolfpack again close the gap to 22-16, the Eagles again responded with a 10-3 run to lead 32-19 with less than a minute left till half.
Josephs nailed another three pointer, Elisee added another jumper and Brown scored six during the run to extend the lead to 13 going into half.
Schoolhouse Prep tried to cut into the lead in the third quarter cutting it down to 9 late in the third, but NFEI answered again to take a 13 point lead into the final quarter.
Eight minutes away from playing for a state title and winning its first ever state semifinal game, the Eagles didn’t let up.
Senior Zabian Moody, who scored five points, converted two of three free throws down the stretch to give the Eagles a game high 19 point lead up 59-40 with 1:31 left in the game.
As the Eagles dribbled the ball up the court one last time, the ghosts of three state semifinal losses began to fade away and a first state final appearance began to sink in.
Getting to Lakeland hasn’t been the problem though, for a school barely nine years old, North Florida Educational Institute is making its fourth Final Four appearance, yet Lakeland had been anything but kind for them with three state semifinal losses in 2013, 2017 and 2018.
For players like Johnson and Moody and head coach Stacey Poole Jr., whom all walked off the court last season with another semifinal loss, they know they will finally leave Lakeland finally with a medal, just a mater of which one.
The Eagles will get their chance for the gold as NFEI (16-13) will play Central Florida Christian (20-10), a 59-44 winner over Crossroad Academy in the first semifinal, in the Class 2A state title game Tuesday 4:30 at the RP Funding Center.
