Mustangs tripped up in state semifinal

All season long, the Lakewood Ranch boys basketball team has boasted one big advantage over its opponents: Depth. 

On Friday at the Lakeland Center against Sickles in a state semifinal, that depth was put to the test when the school's all-time leading scorer, senior Sam Hester, came down on an opponent's foot and twisted his ankle. Hester would leave the game, returning briefly in the first half before sitting out for good in the second. He finished with zero points and one rebound. 

The Mustangs' depth tried to mask the injury, and almost did. Unfortunately for them, almost isn't enough, and Lakewood Ranch's stellar season came crashing to a halt with a 54-49 loss. 

After the game, Hester said his ankle was too stiff to move, and thought that other players would be more effective than he would be. Lakewood Ranch coach Jeremy Schiller said that Hester would have gladly played on basically one leg if it was in the team's best interest, and that he would have given him one of his own legs if he could have. 

Without Hester, the Mustangs front court had difficulty containing Sickles forward Bryce Workman, a three-star recruit according to 24/7 Sports, who finished with 20 points (on 8/11 shooting) and 14 rebounds, with 10 of those points coming in the fourth quarter. Workman was able to do anything he wanted in the post. Lakewood Ranch was out-rebounded 38-25 overall.

Junior Damien Gordon led Lakewood Ranch with 20 points,  but no other Mustang reached double-digits. Senior Devin Twenty had an rare poor shooting day, finishing with five points on 2/10 shooting. 

When a team is out-rebounded by 13 and shoots 2/22 from beyond the arc, it's difficult to find a way to win. 

Yet, thanks to a strong defensive effort and sheer determination, Lakewood Ranch came close to doing just that. 

Lakewood Ranch led for a good portion of the first half, but Sickles made a run late in the second quarter to take a 21-20 lead at the half. The third quarter saw the Gryphons quickly extend their advantage before Gordon and the Mustangs made a run of their own and regained the lead. From there, the game was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team leading by more than four until the final seconds, and featured 14 lead changes.

Down three, Gordon had a chance to tie the game with 18.4 seconds left, but the shot hit the rim with a dull thud and landed in the arms of Sickles' Denari Garrett. 

Schiller said that thought all his players performed well, but missed some shots that usually fall. He tried to think of something smart to say to his team in the locker room, he said, but decided not to say much at all. Instead, Schiller and his players hugged and said that they loved each other. He again stated how proud he is of his Mustangs, and reiterated how much of a brotherhood the program has become, prognosticating that the senior class will still be shooting the ball around together when they're 30 and have "beer bellies."

The winningest class in Lakewood Ranch history will leave behind quite the legacy, but a state title will not be among the memories.