NCT-Eustis district final set

The Class 5A, District 7 championship game predicted from the start will indeed transpire Friday night at Nature Coast.

The second-seeded Sharks, the tournament hosts, will battle top-seeded Eustis at 7 p.m. after each teams won in near identical blowouts in Wednesday night's semifinals.

First the Panthers took care of fifth-seeded Hernando, 78-48. Nature Coast followed with a 72-48 thrashing of third-seeded Tavares.

Those victories secured regional berths for both squads, taking away some importance from the title tilt – or maybe not.

"That's a game we need to win," Nature Coast forward Rohan Blackwood said. "Everybody needs to play to the best of their ability."

The Sharks (23-1) only official defeat – Sarasota-Riverview had to forfeit its win over Nature Coast – came at Eustis (23-3), 51-34 on Dec. 9.

On Jan. 17 at Nature Coast, the Sharks got revenge with a 64-52 triumph.

The final score makes it hard to believe, but Nature Coast Head Dave Pisarcik was worried leading up to the meeting with Tavares (13-13).

Two weeks earlier, the Sharks had to rally past the Bulldogs for a 72-61 win on this same floor.

"They gave us a run for the money," Pisarcik said. "We pulled way toward the end, but we didn't play our best basketball. We knew coming we had to be prepared and ready to go. These kids knew this game could be the end of it."

Perhaps that was a needed wake-up call for a senior-laden Nature Coast group seeking at least a third straight trip to the Elite Eight.

Blackwood, a sophomore transfer from Gulf, dominated in the paint early with eight first-quarter points. He finished with a team-high 15 points and eight rebounds.

"I think I did my job, came out big rebounding," Blackwood said. "My mentality was I had to come in and play the four spot (power forward) right. We need somebody in the high post to dish it off and come in rebounding."

Tavares didn't score until Brandon Tornavacca's three-pointer with 2:50 to go in the opening period, yet pulled to within four, 17-13, early in the second.

The Sharks responded with a 17-0 run and carried a 36-17 edge into halftime they would never come close to relinquishing.

"I'm proud of the kids, with the way they came out with intensity," Pisarcik said. "We didn't play well all the time, but we played well enough to win.

"The guys know that this is the real season. They had first-game-of-year energy with playoff form."

Tyler Bergantino added 13 points, seven rebounds and four blocks. Caleb Martin pulled down 11 boards and blocked two shots, as Nature Coast exploited a clear height advantage.

Hernando (11-13) endured the flip side of a lopsided affair, unable to capitalize on the momentum of Tuesday's semifinal victory over fourth-seeded Dunnellon, 72-34.

Eustis smothered the Leopards with its trap, rushing out to a 23-8 lead through the first quarter as Ronald Tarver had nine points and five steals.

Tarver wound up with 16 points and seven steals. Antwon Clayton totaled 12 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals and two blocks.

Jabari Dunham scored 15 points with five steals, and Dustin Dunham had 13 points, seven rebounds and three steals.

Ra'shaad Hart had a double-double for Hernando, tallying 16 points and 10 boards. Terrence Owens netted 14 points; Marqui Redding contributed six steals and four assists.

"We turned the ball over, but that's what Eustis does. They turn everybody over," Hernando Head Coach Mark Latsko said. "I thought defensively we played aggressive. We had open looks, we just didn't finish them.

"When you get into a hole against a team as good as Eustis, you're in for a long night. But I couldn't be more proud of the way our kids improved throughout the year."

Eustis 78, Hernando 48

Hernando (48): Owens 5 3-4 14, Neal 1 0-4 2, Hart 7 2-5 16, Wilson 2 0-0 5, Redding 2 0-0 5, Duncan 1 0-0 2, Ramos 1 0-0 2, Roberts 1 0-0 2, Pope 0. Totals 20 5-13 48.

Eustis (78): D. Dunham 6 0-0 13, Brown 4 0-0 8, Allen 2 2-4 6, J. Dunham 5 5-7 15, Tarver 7 2-6 16, Clayton 4 4-7 12, Graham 1 3-3 5, Few 1 0-2 3, Jones 0, Pucino 0, Breen 0. Totals 30 16-29 78.

Three-point field goals: HER 3 (Owens, Wilson, Redding); EUS 2 (D. Dunham, Few).

Total fouls: HER 22; EUS 13.

Technical fouls: Wilson (HER).

Fouled out: none.

Records: Hernando (11-13), Eustis (23-3).

Nature Coast 72, Tavares 48

Tavares (48): Anthony 8 6-7 23, Ross 0, Pierce 1 0-0 2, Patterson 0, Tornavacca 3 6-6 14, Hall 2 0-1 4, Patrick 1 2-4 4, David 0 1-2 1, McCants 0, Blount 0. Totals 15 15-20 48.

Nature Coast (72): Parker 3 0-0 6, Blackwood 7 1-2 15, Bergantino 5 3-5 13, Davila 3 0-0 8, Lowman 1 0-0 2, Hessler 4 1-3 9, Martin 2 2-4 6, Ingram 1 2-2 4, J. Mazzia 2 0-0 4, Powell 1 0-0 3, Finlay 1 0-0 2, S. Mazzia 0, Beavers 0. Totals 30 9-16 72.

Three-point field goals: TAV 3 (Tornavacca 2, Anthony); NCT 3 (Davila 2, Powell).

Total fouls: TAV 11; NCT 21.

Technical fouls: none.

Fouled out: Ingram (NCT).

Records: Tavares (13-13), Nature Coast (23-1).

5A-7 Tournament

at Nature Coast

02-07

Game 1 – No. 5 Hernando vs. No. 4 Dunnellon

Hernando 72, Dunnellon 34

Game 2 – No. 3 Tavares def. No. 6 Crystal River

Tavares 59, Crystal River 55 (OT)

02-08

Game 3 – Hernando vs. No. 1 Eustis

Eustis 78, Hernando 48

Game 4 – No. 2 Nature Coast vs. Tavares

Nature Coast 72, Tavares 48

02-10

(Championship)

Nature Coast vs. Eustis, 7 p.m.