Fourth-Quarter Flameout Foils HHS

WESLEY CHAPEL - Hernando High started the fourth quarter just eight minutes away from its first regional berth in six years.
Up 35-33 at the beginning of the final period of Friday night's Class 4A, District 8 Tournament semifinal at Wesley Chapel-Wiregrass Ranch High, the third-seeded Lady Leopards fell apart offensively.
Meanwhile, Jordan Schulman got hot from the perimeter for second-seeded Gulf High, while Nicole Adams went 10-for-10 from the foul line as the Lady Buccaneers ran away with a 53-37 triumph.
"I guess from the beginning of the fourth quarter, we let them get two easy baskets," Hernando Head Coach JoSandra Maner said. "You can't play for the girls. You can tell them what to do, but you can't do it for them. They let a lot of stuff happen that shouldn't happen and it just got away.
"I think they just choked under the pressure. They just didn't get it done. It cost us momentum. We couldn't get it back."

New turf

Playing the program's biggest game since 2002, the last time Hernando (17-7) advanced out of the district, the Lady Leopards found themselves in an unfamiliar spot.
Perhaps that inexperience haunted them in a fourth quarter in which they got out-scored 20-2 and failed to record a field goal.
Gulf (19-8) has become a perpetual district contender, and rode its superior guard play to victory. Schulman and Adams combined for all but two for the team's points.
"I think we controlled tempo," Gulf Head Coach Mike Quarto said. "Once we got the lead, we controlled tempo. Jordan, Nicole, they did a great job."
Conversely, Hernando continued to ride it strong frontcourt, all its scoring coming from the starting trio of April Griffey (18 points, 10 rebounds), Jasmire Brown (13 points, 13 rebounds, four assists) and Jordan Platt (four points, four rebounds). Desirae Woods added seven rebounds off the bench.
Guard Rianna Jenkins was the only other Lady Leopard to break into the scoring column with just two points.
The senior Griffey had 11 points in the first half, leading Hernando to a 21-17 halftime advantage.

Gulf rallies

Platt's bank shot at around the 5:30 mark of the third quarter opened a six-point bulge, 25-19.
However, Gulf rallied to tie the score at 31, as Adams dribbled through the lane and hit on a bank shot of her own. She also got fouled, turning it into a three-point play.
Brown, serving as Hernando's primary ball-handler, dished to Griffey and Platt for consecutive buckets to put the Lady Leopards back on top, 35-31.
Then Adams scored late in the period to pull the Lady Bucs within two. At the start of the fourth quarter, she found Schulman for three-pointers from opposite corners, making it 39-35 Gulf.
Schulman converted a fast break lay-up and a jumper to make the lead 43-36, paving the way for Adams to seal the win at the charity stripe.
Adams went a perfect 11-of-11 at the free throw line, ending up with 25 points plus five assists, five rebounds and three steals.
Schulman finished up with 26 points, connecting on four three-pointers, to go along with nine steals and seven rebounds.
"Jordan Schulman played the best game she's played all year," Quarto said. "She's been banged up with a stinger in her shoulder, the flu. This is her best game since November.
"This was a great game for our young kids. It helped them learn that it's a physical game and you have to step up."
Gulf moved on to face top-seeded Nature Coast Technical in the 4A-8 title game on Saturday. Hernando had to settle for its first winning season since 2001-02.
"It's been a great year for us. I had fun," said Maner, completing her first year at the helm. "Nothing bad I have to say. No excuses. We had a great year. It's a shame it's over.
"...It depends on what we get coming up (next season). It's all about what you get. Right now one school is finding ways to get everything that comes up. It all depends on what you get. If you don't get anything that makes it a little harder."
 
GULF 53, HERNANDO 37
Qtr. Scoring 1 2 3 4

Hernando 10 11 14 2 - 37

Gulf 11 6 16 20 - 53

Hernando (37): Brown 6 1-2 13, Griffey 8 2-4 18, Platt 2 0-0 4, Ledington 0, Jenkins 1 0-0 2, Woods 0, Haimes 0, Lawrence 0. Totals 17 3-6 37.
Gulf (53): Schulman 11 0-2 26, McAuliffe 0, Brooks 1 0-0 2, Adams 7 11-11 25, Jones 0, Seybold 0, Melgard 0. Totals 19 11-13 53.
Three-point field goals: GUL 4 (Schulman 4).
Total fouls: HER 14; GUL 7.
Technical fouls: none.
Fouled out: none.
Records: Hernando (17-7), Gulf (19-8).