Sagemont foils NFEI in rematch, tops Eagles in second consecutive state semifinal
For the second consecutive year, Sagemont slammed the door.
Weston Sagemont held off a fourth-quarter rally by North Florida Educational Institute, defeating the Eagles 71-65 in Wednesday's Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A boys basketball semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Three-pointers from junior guard Devontae Jean and late strength in the paint from 6-8 Danielius Kasparas secured the win for Sagemont (28-4), which also beat NFEI in the 2022 state semis. The Lions advance to a Friday afternoon championship game against Orlando Christian Prep.
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Although NFEI (22-9) trailed for almost the entire second half, they made it interesting at the finish, thanks in large part to a 27-point performance from senior guard Juan Batista.
The Eagles clawed back from a double-digit hole in the final quarter, cutting the lead to six on Batista's free throws and trimming the deficit to 63-58 on Carlos Odesa's layup inside the two-minute mark.
But Kasparas scored four quick points to extend the lead, and even though Jeremiah Kwarteng brought NFEI within four in the waning seconds, Sagemont sealed the game from the line.
Sagemont did most of its damage in the third period. After NFEI's Kemauny Welch tied the score at 31-31, the Lions surged ahead on a 9-0 run.
NFEI completed its third 20-win season in the last four years.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: High school boys basketball 2023: NFEI-Sagemont state semifinal
