Girls basketball: King's Academy finds familiar finish in state semifinals

Emilee Smarr, Palm Beach Post
·2 min read

LAKELAND — The higher they climb, the harder they fall, and so was the case for King’s Academy’s girls basketball once again on Wednesday as they fell 52-39 to Cardinal Mooney in a Class 3A final four rematch.

“I felt like we didn't play our best basketball today. Unfortunately, you don’t get a reset,” Lions coach Chris Race said.

Lamenting a second state title ticket lost since taking the helm at King’s in 2019, Race said, ”The whole season since we lost last year — they wanted this game the whole time.”

The ball came loose within seconds for the Lions after sophomore Jade Jones won the tipoff, foreshadowing the team's fate despite a strong first-half effort.

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At halftime, King’s trailed Mooney, 28-26.

Senior Jordan Race hit a 3-pointer, similar to one she made to upset 2022 state champ Westminster Academy earlier this season, to charge the Lions’ first-half scoring efforts. Race, Jones, and Sophia Kateris, combined for 20 points.

“It's hard to be the daughter of the coach because no matter what you do it, it's never right,” Race said, ”proud” to see how she's “grown from little Jojo to a woman.”

King's Academy's Jade Jones (13) sits on the bench as the final seconds tick off the clock during their loss to Cardinal Mooney High School during the FHSAA Girls 3A semifinal basketball game at The RP Funding Center in Lakeland Wednesday. February 22, 2023.
King's Academy's Jade Jones (13) sits on the bench as the final seconds tick off the clock during their loss to Cardinal Mooney High School during the FHSAA Girls 3A semifinal basketball game at The RP Funding Center in Lakeland Wednesday. February 22, 2023.

Fouls and turnovers gave King’s ticket to Saturday away to the Cougars. On 10 trips to the free-throw line, Mooney gathered 14 points of insurance, already backed by a defense that barred the Lions from pouncing ahead.

“They’re a good team. No doubt about it — it’s their third year in a row here,” Race said of Cardinal Mooney. “I just felt like we didn't really execute some things that I thought we could execute better.”

A steal to start the second half took any momentum King’s had — and it showed as Sofia Rathbun banked the Lions’ only shot of the third quarter.

King's Academy's Sophia Kateris (11) drives toward the basket as Cardinal Mooney High School's Bri Behn (11) tries to defend during their FHSAA Girls 3A girls semifinal basketball game at The RP Funding Center in Lakeland Wednesday. February 22, 2023. (SPECIAL TO THE PALM BEACH POST/MICHAEL WILSON)
King's Academy's Sophia Kateris (11) drives toward the basket as Cardinal Mooney High School's Bri Behn (11) tries to defend during their FHSAA Girls 3A girls semifinal basketball game at The RP Funding Center in Lakeland Wednesday. February 22, 2023. (SPECIAL TO THE PALM BEACH POST/MICHAEL WILSON)

“We weren't putting enough pressure on them while they were sitting in that zone. I think we kind of were content to move the ball around and not really attack the rim," coach Race said.

As the points failed to mount up in the second half, the whistles did. Rathbun and Kateris exited with two minutes to the buzzer, King’s down 45-32.

”Honestly, I was very confident. The girls have been confident,” Race said. “I thought we were ready.”

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: King's Academy girls basketball finds familiar finish in state semifinals