On Saturday, Knight, the reigning Gatorade National Player of the Year, did just that, scoring 11 of his game-high 27 points in the third quarter to help his team build a solid cushion and hold off a feisty University School program, 66-52, in front of a sold out crowd at Stacy Gym.
The Panthers (24-4) controlled the temp early on in the 3A regional final as the 6-foot-3 standout helped his team climb to a 23-11 lead with 6:19 left in the half after intercepting a pass by University School’s Kevin Phanord, making the layup and drawing a foul for the three-point play.
Shortly after, Sebastian Amedee ignited a comeback for the Suns and scored seven of his 11 points during a 9-0 run. In the end, Devin Gaulden capitalized off the resurgence with a buzzer-beating reverse layup bringing University to within two, 29-27, by halftime.
Knight, who also had 10 rebounds, six assists and five steals, came out on fire in the third period and helped his team stretch its margin by scoring on a pull-up jump shot on their first possession, followed by another long 3-pointer. Then, Knight was fouled, made the basket, and converted another three-point play with 3:42 left in the third quarter to give Pine Crest a 42-32 lead over University.
"I told our guys how important the first few minutes of the second half would be, " said Pine Crest coach David Beckerman. "I told them how it would set the tempo for the rest of the game and they responded greatly."
Nursing a 62-48 lead with 2:10 left in regulation, an elated Knight stood at halfcourt, smiling and jumping up and down, as his team was within arms' reach of advancing to its fourth consecutive state final four.
"Tonight, we were tested and we responded," said Knight. "The only way for us to win another state championship is if we all put in equal effort and I think we did that tonight."
Knight’s supporting cast definitely held its own, including 16 points from Billy Thompson Jr., 10 points and 10 rebounds from Tevin Westbrook and six points, five steals and 12 assists from sophomore guard Traveon Henry, who set a school record for assists in a season with 228.
The Panthers will play Williston in the state semifinal game on Wednesday in Lakeland.
Vikings girls’ basketball repeat
The Norland (Miami) girls basketball team won its second consecutive state championship with a 43-38 overtime win against Pensacola High in the Class 4A final on Saturday. Cleandra Roberts, a senior, led the Vikings with 18 points as Norland became the first school in Miami-Dade County to win back-to-back state titles in two classifications.
Ferguson upsets national power
The Ferguson (Miami) baseball team defeated Columbus, one of the nation’s top programs, 6-5 on Thursday behind a game-winning run scored by Brandon Hernandez. Christian Santiesteban aided the win by going 3 for 3 and driving in two runs to tie the game in the fifth inning.
TIP award
This week’s top individual performance award goes to Knight. Knight led the Panthers to a 99-69 win over Glades Central in the 3A regional semifinal by scoring 48 points and grabbing 13 rebounds with six assists and six steals.
Others
Angel Rodriguez, Guard, Dr. Krop, scored a game-high 39 points in a 79-63 win over Columbus in the Class 6A regional final.
Travis Elliott, Forward, Boyd Anderson, scored 16 points and grabbed 15 rebounds in a 56-55 win over Miramar in the Class 6A regional final.
Dawn Maye, Guard, Dillard, led the Panthers to its first state championship appearance after scoring 22 points against Winter Haven in the Class 5A state semifinal.
Jacoby Brissett, Guard, Dwyer, led the Panthers to a 70-57 win over Ely in the Class 5A regional semifinal by scoring 27 points.
Fredrick Conner, Guard, Ely, scored a game-high 37 points in the loss to Dwyer.
Fabricio De Melo, Center, Sagemont, scored a game-high 20 points, while grabbing nine rebounds, in a 60-47 win over Dade Christian in the Class 2A regional final.
