Sarasota girls win district title

The Sarasota girls basketball team won its second-straight district title Friday after defeating Lakewood Ranch 31-20 in a tough defensive game.

At halftime, Sarasota led by only one point, 7-6.

“We were a little tight and didn’t really execute our offense (in the first half),” Sarasota coach Robert Jutras said.

Both the Sailors and the Mustangs struggled on offsense. Sarasota held Lakewood Ranch to 17% shooting during the game.

Sarasota’s guard tandem of Zharia Grable and Camille Giardina scored 28 of the Sailors’ 31 points; each had 14 points.

The guards also led Sarasota in rebounding with seven apiece.

The presence of Grable and Giardina has been huge for Sarasota. When the offense isn’t quite performing, the two have the ability to get it back in rhythm.

After the slow first half, Giardina said she “had two quarters to get my act together.”

Jutras said it wasn’t about making adjustments, but just getting his players to execute the game plan like they know how.

“One of the things we talked about was getting out there and running the things we normally run,” Jutras said. “In the first half we didn’t look like we normally look. We talked about relaxing and playing our game.”

Despite the offensive struggles, Sarasota’s defense was strong; the team allowed a total of 44 points in two district games.

“We’re a very good defensive team,” Jutras said. “The last two times we played (Lakewood Ranch) we held them to 36 and 35. We pride ourselves on defense. I expect us to always score one more point than our opponent.”

Jutras said there’s no question that the senior leadership of Grable and Giardina has made a difference with the team in crunch time.

“The seniors do so much for us,” he said. “It’s on them to be able to carry the team, especially when we’re maybe not executing properly. They’ve been doing it all year. We’re lucky to have those two.

“I think a lot is to be said of how we practice and prepare. We’ve been there; most of the team is back from last year. I think we’re hitting our stride.”

Sarasota will host Northeast High in the regional playoffs Thursday.

Contact Jason Clary at [email protected].