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State Champs! Florida High boys basketball beats Miami Riviera Prep 67-66 for 3A title
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- State Champs! Florida High boys basketball beats Miami Riviera Prep 67-66 for 3A title
The Florida High boys basketball team made history Friday.
The Seminoles beat Miami Riviera Prep 67-66 in the Class 3A state championship game at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
It's Florida High's second title and first since 1963.
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Subscriber exc: Promises were kept, dreams came true, realizations were made in Florida High's state win
Rickards won Tallahassee's last state title in boys basketball in 2020, beating Pembroke Pines 67-60 in Class 5A.
Tre Donaldson led the Seminoles with 22 points, while Anthony Robinson Jr. added 19.
'It builds people': Florida High preps for second state title in boys basketball in 59 years
In the final four: Florida High tops Tampa Catholic in state semifinals, faces Rivera Prep for state championship
"It feels great - there's no other feeling like it," Donaldson said.
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"I told the younger guys after halftime that I am going to put a ring on your fingers. I meant it. I told my teammates it's bigger than me. It's bigger than you. It's bigger than us.
"We're playing for our coaches, our fans and the city of Tallahassee."
Florida High led by as many as 13 points (51-38) in the fourth quarter and withstood Riviera Prep's late charge.
Riviera Prep pulled with one point four different times in the final minutes, but each time the Seminoles answered.
After Esteban Lluberes' short jumper inside the paint cut Florida High's lead to 63-62 at the 1:19 mark, Tre Donaldson drained pair of free throws to make it 65-62.
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Donaldson also converted 2 of 4 three throws in the final 28 seconds.
Riviera Prep had a chance to tie the game in their final possession, but it opted for a layup as the clock expired.
"I am just grateful," Florida High coach Charlie Ward said.
"I have great coaches, have great players and these two guys (Donaldson and Robinson) stepped up this year."
Donaldson also led the team in rebounds (8) and assists (3).
Florida High shot 54.3 percent from the floor (25 of 46), while Riviera Prep went 21 of 49 (42.9 percent). The Seminoles also converted 12 of 19 free throws.
Florida High was in control most of the game.
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Riviera Prep's largest advantage was two points during the game's opening minutes and early in the third quarter at 30-28.
The game was tied for the last time at 30-30. The Seminoles went on an 8-0 run and led 49-38 heading into the fourth quarter.
BOX SCORE
Florida High (23 - 7)
Miles Evora 2-2 2-2 6, Anthony Robinson II 6-11 5-8 19, Tre Donaldson 8-16 5-8 22, Stratton Ponder 0-1 0-0 0, TJ Baker 2-4 0-0 4, Thaddeus Burns 4-8 0-1 10, Trey Card 1-1 0-0 2, Christian Johnson 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 25-46 12-19 67
Riviera Prep (24 - 7)
Enrique Perez 1-4 2-2 4, Esteban Lluberes 8-22 7-8 28, Cooper Josefsberg 0-3 3-5 3, Edward Nnamoko 3-5 1-2 7, Joahim Ametepe 0-0 0-0 0, Nicolas Flowers 5-5 2-3 15, Dante Allen 4-10 1-1 9. Totals 21-49 16-21 66
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Florida High 16 12 21 18 - 67
Riviera Prep 13 15 10 28 - 66
FG%: Florida High .543; Riviera Prep .429. 3-pt FG: Florida High 5-16 (Robinson II 2-5, Donaldson 1-3, Ponder 0-1, Baker 0-1, Burns 2-6) Riviera Prep 8-20 (Perez 0-2, Lluberes 5-11, Josefsberg 0-3, Flowers 3-3, Allen 0-1).
Rebounds: Florida High 27 (Donaldson 8), Riviera Prep 27 (Nnamoko 6). Fouls: Florida High 16, Riviera Prep 16. Fouled out: none. Technical: Robinson II. Assists: Florida High 7 (Donaldson 3), Riviera Prep 9 (Lluberes 4). Steals: Florida High 9 (Robinson II 3, Donaldson 3), Riviera Prep 10 (Allen 5). Blocked shots: Florida High 3 (Robinson II 1, Burns 1, Johnson 1), Riviera Prep 2 (Josefsberg 1, Allen 1). Turnovers: Florida High 14, 3A Riviera Prep 14.
Reach Jim Henry at jjhenry@tallahassee.com.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida High wins FHSAA boys basketball state championship
