LAKELAND – Orlando Christian Prep started sluggishly, maybe sleepily, in its Saturday morning Class 2A boys basketball state championship game.
But in a 10 a.m. time slot more common for brunch than basketball the undefeated Warriors were able to turn up the defensive heat with big servings of steals and shot-blocking in a 51-32 victory against Jacksonville Impact Christian at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
The Warriors, woken at 7 a.m. from their Lakeland hotel beds, made just two of their first 10 shot attempts. But OCP finished the second quarter on an 11-1 run, sparked by takeaways and transition baskets, to lead 28-21 at the half. They pulled away after the break to get to 27-0 on the season.
“We just could not make some shots early. But our guys didn’t get rattled,” said OCP head coach Treig Burke, who has seen the program win four state championships in five seasons since he was handed the reins following nine years as a Warriors assistant.
OCP extended its two-year winning streak to 47-0, an Orlando area record. Its ninth state championship in a span of 14 seasons since 2008 is unprecedented in Florida High School Athletic Association boys basketball.
After falling behind 9-4 in the opening quarter OCP got out of its man-to-man defense and went to a half-court trap. That move sped the game up.
“We just had to switch it up and keep (Impact) on their toes,” Burke added. “Our defense did a great job of getting us opportunities.”
AJ Brown made seven of his 12 shot attempts and led OCP in scoring with 18 points. He too said stops at the defensive end led to good shots going the other way.
“If we get stops and deflections and steals we turn that into our offense,” Brown said. He made 2-of-3 three-point tries and both of his free throw chances to complete a stellar state showing.
The 6-foot-4 junior celebrated his 17th birthday on Wednesday with a 29-point performance in OCP’s 71-32 semifinal victory over Boca Raton Grandview Prep.
Orlando Christian Prep finished with 10 steals, three by Brown, and limited the Lions to 27% shooting (11-of-41) . The Warriors also outrebounded Impact by a wide 39-25 margin, which helped offset their own low shooting percentage of 38.9% (21-of-54).
By holding both final four foes to 32 points OCP limited nine of its past 10 opponents to 44 or less. The Warriors gave up more than 56 points only two times — in a 62-59 win against 7A Windermere and a 68-66 early victory vs. Jacksonville Bishop Snyder.
Ven Allen-Lubin, a 6-7 junior in his third year as a Warriors starter, scored 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting and added six rebounds.
OCP also got a big showing from 6-10 sophomore center Jayden Hastings, who had just two points but excelled inside with nine rebounds. He was credited with six blocked shots on the official statistics sheet and appeared to touch several other tries by Impact.
Hastings, a reserve last season, said he was dialed in knowing his expanded role as a defensive stopper and rebounder was important to his team this season.
Ocypher Owens, a 6-6 senior reserve who subbed in for Hastings in the second quarter and later played alongside him in a big lineup, had eight points on 3-of-4 shooting. Owens, who previously played at Orlando University, grabbed five rebounds and added a slick assist that led to late dunk by Lubin.
“Eight points and five rebounds, that’s big. That changes the game,” Burke said.
Impact (21-8), runner-up to the Warriors for consecutive seasons, was poised early against OCP’s sticky defense and led 20-17 before Owens made a 3-point shot to tie the game five minutes into the second quarter.
Lubin pushed OCP into the lead with a dribble drive basket, marking the fifth lead change in the first half. Brown followed that score with a steal that led to a fastbreak layup by senior guard Omar Figueroa and the Warriors were off and running.
The Warriors, who have three starters and eight players due back, will carry their current win streak into the 2021-22 season — unless they receive an invitation to continue play at the GEICO High School Basketball Nationals tournament. That post-playoffs tournament is scheduled to be played with an eight-team field, April 1-3, at a location that is still to be announced.
“I’d love to go,” Burke said. “I’m not worried about our winning streak. We’re going to lose sometime. If it happens it happens.”
Two Florida boarding school powers who compete outside the FHSAA playoff system, Montverde Academy (20-1) and IMG Academy (20-2) of Bradenton, are regarded as shoe-ins to receive berths. OCP is in position to be the third Florida team considered.
This report was first published at OrlandoSentinel.com. Varsity Content Editor Buddy Collings can be reached by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.