Both St. Thomas Aquinas basketball teams entered the BCAA Big 8 tournament as the no.1 seed in their respective bracket. In different ways, both teams got it done in round one to advance to the semifinals on Friday.
The girls played first at 4:00 p.m. and continued their hot stretch. Playing their best basketball of the season at the right time, the Raiders dominated to the tune of a 68-19 win over Coral Springs Charter.
The girls have now won eight of their last nine games, with six of those wins being by double digits. They will face the winner of Blanche Ely and Cypress Bay in the semifinals on Friday at 7:00 p.m.
Meanwhile, the boys team had it a little bit tougher. Playing a Blanche Ely team that it took two overtimes to beat 79-77 two weeks ago, this time it only took one.
The Raiders battled their way through a tough shooting night, and rode their strong defense, to a 54-51 overtime victory over the Tigers. The Raiders, who average over 70 points per contest, scored just 19 points in the second half as they saw a ten point halftime lead slip away.
In the extra period, the defensive clamps tightened and helped secure the win. DJ Wimbley led the team with 18 points while DJ Sandi joined him in double figures with 11.
The Raiders move to 21-2 on the year with the result. They face Pines Charter or Coral Glades on Friday at 8:30 p.m. They defeated Pines Charter 58-46 on the road on Jan. 21st. They have not faced Coral Glades this season.
