SANFORD — Seminole came out sluggish in its 7A regional quarterfinal battle with Oakleaf on Thursday night, but the ‘Noles ramped up the full-court defensive pressure and got aggressive pushing the ball to the paint and eventually rolled to a 69-44 victory.
Oakleaf even led the game 18-16 after the first quarter, but Seminole took control. The ‘Noles (15-7) allowed Oakleaf (12-12) to score just four points in the second quarter and forced six turnovers in the period as they frustrated Oakleaf and pulled ahead 35-22 halftime lead.
“We started out trying to mix it up a little bit. We’ve got a couple guys injured, so we’re trying to get everybody healthy,” said Seminole coach Sylvester Wynn. “Once we got everybody in and were in a rhythm, we put the pressure on them and tried to get some turnovers and lay ups.”
Demari Henderson, who has been hobbled by an injury, sparked Seminole off the bench and the recipient of most of the energy was twin brother Ja’cari Henderson. Ja’cari had 10 points at halftime and 12 for the game.
“Once he got in he was kind of like the leader of the lions. They feed off of him,” Wynn said of Demari Henderson. “He’s still not 100 percent, but he did a great job tonight.”
Six-foot-6 senior Jonah Pierce was the main benefactor of Seminoles’ second-half fast-break points, as well as its ball movement. He scored a game-high 19, including 12 points and a pair of dunks in the second half.
“Jonah makes a big difference. He’s not real aggressive, but the passes we do and the little simple things and before you know it, he’s got 20 points,” Wynn said.
The ‘Noles will be home again on Tuesday to face Bartram Trail (14-13) in the region semifinals.
This column first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Chris Hays at chays@orlandosentinel.com.
