Florida High falls to Jacksonville Providence in regional championship

On his final night on the Providence home court, Mason Lee wasn't going to let his last chance at the final four slip away.

"That's senior leadership," Stallions head coach Jim Martin said. "He willed us to the win tonight."

The University of North Florida-signed forward scored a game-high 26 points and set up a crucial last-minute basket, leading the Stallions past reigning Florida High School Athletic Association champion Florida High 55-50 in Friday night's Region 1-3A championship.

Ranked first in Class 3A, the Stallions (28-2) advance to the state semifinal on Wednesday at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, where they'll pursue a fourth state title to go with previous championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

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After a wild, back-and-forth end to the fourth quarter and overtime, Lee helped seal the win in the final minute. Up 56-55, Providence's Chris Arias grabbed a defensive rebound and passed to Lee, who found guard David Fonville with a long pass for a layup at the 16.6-second mark.

"I saw him and I trusted him and I knew he was going to make it, so I gave it to him," Lee said.

Florida High's final chance evaporated when a 3-point try clanked off the side of the backboard and Brady Patterson snatched the rebound as the home crowd celebrated victory over the team that eliminated the Stallions 45-41 last year.

Providence rushed out to an 11-0 opening run and a 16-3 lead before Florida High (27-3), led by the lightning quickness of Missouri-committed Anthony Robinson II, began the comeback.

The Seminoles snatched the lead in the third quarter, and the teams went back-and-forth the rest of the way through a chaotic finish — Florida High's Trey Card pulled down a key offensive rebound while holding his shoe, and Marquez Allen forced overtime with 10 seconds to go. Allen also tied the score 55-55 in overtime before Jaylen Robinson's free throw pushed Providence in front.

Anthony Robinson II led Florida High with 14 points in his last game before heading to the SEC, while Allen and Card scored 13 apiece.

"It just felt like a dogfight... we knew it was going to be a great game," Martin said.

Providence 58, Florida High 55 (OT)

FLORIDA HIGH (55): Am. Robinson 3, An. Robinson 14, Allen 13, Baker 5, Burns 7, Card 13.

PROVIDENCE (58): Arias 8, Lee 26, Patterson 3, Fonville 4, Robinson 9, Mansaray 8.

3-pointers: Florida High 7 (An. Robinson 2, Am. Robinson, Allen, Baker, Burns, Card), Providence 5 (Lee 4, Patterson).

Florida High;13;11;14;12;5;--;55

Providence;18;8;15;11;8;--;58

Records: Providence 28-2, Florida High 27-3.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida High's season comes to an end in regional championship to Providence