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Eads, Carter propel Lake Highland Prep past Colonial

Jada Eads tallies 22 points, 8 rebounds for two-time defending 4A champion Highlanders vs. 7A Final Four Colonial
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ORLANDO, FLORIDA – Jada Eads carried Lake Highland Prep with 22 points and eight rebounds Wednesday, leading the two-time defending Class 4A champions past 7A Final Four team Colonial 57-52 in a clash of top-20 teams in the SBLive Girls Basketball Power 25.

Eleecia Carter added 16 points and six rebounds for the Highlanders (13-6, No. 5 in the SBLive Power 25) close their 2022-23 regular season at home in a Citrus League game against Class 4A, District 7 foe Bishop Moore (18-5). The teams could meet in their district final.

Lake Highland Prep's Camila DePool (3) and Jada Eads, right, press Colonial guard Carmen Richardson during the second half of their nondistrict game. Eads had 22 points and eight rebounds in the Highlanders' 57-52 victory, while DePool added seven points. Richardson had a team-high 16 points.

Lake Highland Prep's Camila DePool (3) and Jada Eads, right, press Colonial guard Carmen Richardson during the second half of their nondistrict game. Eads had 22 points and eight rebounds in the Highlanders' 57-52 victory, while DePool added seven points. Richardson had a team-high 16 points.

Carmen Richardson scored 16 points as Colonial (17-7, No. 18) stood toe to toe with the Highlanders all game, keeping the game within single digits. The Grenadiers, led by Jasmynne Gibson’s 11 rebounds, outrebounded Lake Highland Prep 42-25. Gibson added 10 points, while Rae Eccleston had 11 points and seven rebounds.

Colonial coach Cindy Richardson said she wanted to contest Lake Highland Prep’s guard-heavy lineup at the 3-point line. “We wanted to run them off the line, because they’re all 3-point shooters,” Cindy Richardson said. “We expect them to drive, and hopefully they’ll miss. They miss more layups than they do 3’s.”

Colonial's Jasmynne George puts up a hook shot over Lake Highland Prep's Ari Woodard. George had 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for the Grenadiers.

Colonial's Jasmynne George puts up a hook shot over Lake Highland Prep's Ari Woodard. George had 10 points and a game-high 11 rebounds for the Grenadiers.

Lake Highland Prep’s edge in speed led to a 16-11 edge in turnovers, which the Highlanders turned into 16 points. Colonial could get only six points off turnovers.

Eads had two of the Highlanders’ four 3-pointers. She also had a buzzer-beating layup at the end of the first half.

But a first half that featured six lead changes eventually fell into Lake Highland Prep’s hands when Lexi Blue and Camila DePool each hit two free throws in the final 59.7 seconds. Eads then answered Carmen Richardson’s two free throws with 5 seconds left by racing the length of the court buzzer-beating layup and a 26-23 halftime lead.

The Highlanders never trailed in the second half, but Colonial withstood every knockout punch Lake Highland Prep tried to throw. The Highlanders led twice by eight points in the second half – once on a DePool jumper for a 35-25 lead with 3:07 left in the third, and a Carter 3-pointer with 3:42 left in the game for a 45-37 edge.

“They had a lot of people they thought could match up with us,” Carter said. “We had to do one move and get to the basket. That was the game plan in the second half.”

Lake Highland Prep's Jada Eads shoots over Colonial's Carmen Richardson during the second half of their nondistrict game. Eads had 22 points and eight rebounds in the Highlanders' 57-52 victory. Richardson had 16 points and six rebounds.

Lake Highland Prep's Jada Eads shoots over Colonial's Carmen Richardson during the second half of their nondistrict game. Eads had 22 points and eight rebounds in the Highlanders' 57-52 victory. Richardson had 16 points and six rebounds.

Each time the Grenadiers cut the lead to a one-possession game. Gibson and Richardson hit jumper, and Eccleston hit two free throws near the end of the third quarter. But Saleigh Simpson came off the bench to hit a layup with 1.4 seconds left in the third, giving the Highlanders a 37-33 lead at the end of the third quarter.

After Carter’s fourth-quarter three made it 45-37, the Grenadiers cut the lead three times to 3. The game stalemated into a free-throw-fest, and the Highlanders matched Colonial well enough at the line to clinch the victory. Lake Highland Prep hit 12 of 14 from the free-throw line in the final 1:42, while Colonial hit 5 of 6 in that span.

“Stay calm, stay poised throughout the game,” Eads said. “Don’t try to rush things when things aren’t going your way.”

Lake Highland Prep has mixed in some national powers while preparing for the playoffs. The Highlanders went 2-2 at the Nike Tournament of Champions in Phoenix and 1-2 at the Tampa Bay Invitational. Lake Highland Prep also lost to third-ranked and defending 7A champion Dr. Phillips.

The Highlanders trust that the brutal schedule has prepared them for another playoff run. In the Class 4A, District 7 tournament, Lake Highland Prep and Bishop Moore get byes to the Feb 1 semifinals. The semifinal winners play Feb. 3 in the district final.

“The season’s been up and down,” Eads said. “We came into practice, fixed some things up, go to film.

“The point is rebounding. We have to kill a lot of the boards, second-chance possessions (by opponents).”

Colonial also has played several national foes, going 2-1 in the Tampa Bay Invitational. The Grenadiers also swept the Metro East tournament.

Colonial gets a bye in the Class 7A, District 4 tournament at Hagerty to a Feb. 1 semifinal. The Grenadiers will play either fourth-seeded Winter Park or fifth-seeded Boone. Second-seeded Hagerty awaits the Timber Creek-Orlando University winner in the other semifinal. The championship game is Feb. 3

“Playing a close game at Lake Highland lets you know you can play with anybody,” Cindy Richardson said. “We buckled down and held them below their average.”