By Dave Brousseau - BCAA Writer
LAKELAND – The Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas boys’ basketball team has spent the previous 24 years without winning a state championship.
Led by senior forward and Florida State signee Dwayne Wimbley’s 22 points, and key baskets by K.J. Sandi, D.J. Sandi and Clarence Westbrook Jr. late in the fourth quarter, Aquinas overcame a third quarter 15-point deficit to defeat Orlando Evans 71-63 for the Class 6A championship at the RP Funding Center on Saturday.
The state title extended ended the season with a 14-game winning streak.
With the drought over, the celebration has just begun for the lifetime of memories.
St. Thomas Aquinas (30-2) had been here before, trailing to Coral Springs by 15 points, in a regional playoff game for before rallying.
St. Thomas coach Julius Sandi prepared his team for games and moments like Saturday.
“We created a tough schedule knowing it would prepare us for this moment,” said Sandi. “We had a great year and built the pressure. Every team from south Florida had won a state championship and we had to make sure we got the sweep. We knew we had to be calm and do what we do.”
Entering the decisive fourth quarter the Raiders had already cut into the deficit and inched to within a point of Evans lead following a K.J. Sandi three-pointer with 3:47 to play.
“We did what we had to do,” said Aquinas sophomore guard K.J. Sandi. “It was win it or nothing. We had to stay calm, stay ready, stay locked in or it wouldn’t have worked.”
At three points down, Sandi tied the game at 60-60 with another trey. D.K. Sandi added to the 10-2 run rally with a pair of baskets, following three more point by Westbrook.
The Raiders ended the dramatic comeback with the 22-7 fourth quarter rally for the ages.
“It’s the best feeling ever because this is exactly what I came here to do,” said Wimbley Jr., who also had 11 rebounds. “This was our goal from the beginning, and we did it. We’ve been in that situation; I don’t know how many times. That just shows the determination these guys have. I love these boys. Almost every tournament we’ve been in, we’ve been down. It shows you how bad we wanted it.”
Despite trailing for three quarters, St. Thomas Aquinas showed signs a comeback was in the making. The Raiders field-goal percentage after the first quarter was 21.4, while Evans each a high of 70 percent in the second quarter.
In the end the Raiders improved dramatically from the field, while Evans (25-7) shot just 18.2 percent from the field in the deciding fourth quarter.
Westbrook finished with 15 points, D.J. Sandi with 13 points and Nate Accius 10 points.
The comeback was complete as was the long drought dreaming for a championship.
The Raiders lone championship came in 2001 under former coach Steve Strand when they defeated Belleview 69-57 for the Class 5A title.
Dave Brousseau can be reached on X at @dbrouss76 – or via e-mail at:
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