Sarasota boys basketball falls by 3 in state championship

He was the guy all year long. Of course he would take the final shot.

Johnny Lackaff gathered the ball in the corner as the last few seconds ticked away. With a chance to force overtime, he hoisted up a shot.

The junior guard had steered the Sailors before, and with a state title on the line, he buoyed the offensive effort once again.

His contested 3-point attempt took flight, but hit only iron, swishing none of the net.

Sarasota boys basketball (25-7) fell to Miami's Columbus (26-6) in a 53-50 heartbreaker March 14 in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, held at Jacksonville's UNF Arena.

Making their first state championship appearance in program history, the Sailors came oh, so close to dethroning the now-five-time defending 7A state champions.

"Nobody else but the locker room believed in us. That's what it is. That's the truth," Lackaff said. "But we sure had a shot."

Sarasota trailed, 41-36, entering the fourth quarter. It wasn't an unfamiliar spot to be in, though. The group erased a seven-point, final-frame deficit against Oak Ridge one day prior to reach the title game.

So, the Sailors hung with the Explorers until the very end.

A pair of layups from junior guard/forward Isaiah Jenkins and senior forward David Young trimmed the deficit to one. To follow, Lackaff and Jenkins each connected on field goals and one-shot free-throw attempts, tying the contest — first at 43-43, then again at 46-46.

But after Columbus gained a 50-48 lead, turnovers on consecutive Sarasota possessions forced the Sailors to foul. That sent the reigning champions to the charity stripe, where they pushed the advantage to 53-48 with 13.6 seconds remaining.

"We knew their size and physicality was going to be an issue," said coach BJ Ivey. "They're a great team, super talented. There's a reason why they've won five in a row. Our guys competed, though. That's all you can ask."

A technical foul put Lackaff at the line on the other end. He sunk both free-throw attempts, thrusting Sarasota into game-tying position.

Having led the Sailors with 23.6 points per game this season, the guard racked up a game-high 27 to put them on the edge of history. He shot 5-for-9 from beyond the arc as part of a 7-for-16 overall clip.

He matched the combined scoring output from senior forward Caleb Gaskins and senior guard Felipe Quiñones, who per ESPN, are the No. 10 and No. 69 recruits in the Class of 2026, respectively.

But the last shot Lackaff attempted — a couple inches short — sealed the Sailors' fate.

"I just want a do-over, almost," Lackaff said.