Miami Country Day girls win 9th basketball state championship

LAKELAND, FLORIDA – Miami Country Day climbed one more rung on Florida high school basketball’s ladder of greatness.

Miami Country Day girls won the Class 3A girls basketball state championship Friday at the RP Funding Center, knocking off Sarasota Cardinal Mooney 75-51. It was the second straight year Country Day defeated Cardinal Mooney for the state title and the third time in the past four seasons.

“This group is a special group. I never tell them that, but it is because we never had any highly-acclaimed kids,” Country Day head coach Ochiel Swaby said. ”I really appreciate our seniors. They grinded and worked their butts off.”

Moreover, it was the ninth state title for Country Day – the third most in state history behind Jacksonville Ribault (12) and Fort Lauderdale Dillard (10).

“I try not to think about it in that sense,” Swaby said. “We know we have nine. But each year we try to maximize the talent in the room. Next year, a state championship would probably be a great ceiling for us because we are going to be young, but we have nine months to get it together.

“I try not to think about it in an historical context. I respect it, but I can’t put the pressure on the kids to go get that. If we are fortunate enough to get that, great.”

Swaby said the secret recipe for Country Day’s success through the years has been commitment.

“We ask these kids to be in the gym 365 days a year, at least doing something basketball related. All these kids play travel ball. We work out with them all year round. We just don’t send them to somebody else.”

Country Day senior Kayla Nelms, a Baylor signee, led all scorers with 24 points and nine rebounds – seven on the offensive glass.

Additionally, Kori Edge added 17 points while Sofia Mendez and Kaliyah Morales both scored 11 to round out the Country Day attack.

Country Day (22-8) was sizzling from the opening tipoff, jumping out on an 11-2 run which translated into a 24-11 first quarter lead. By the half, the Spartans had built a 39-24 lead.

Though Cardinal Mooney went on a 16-11 run across the third quarter, Country Day was torrid from the free-throw line, canning 22 of 25 shots to hold off any thoughts of a Cardinal Mooney comeback.

“It’s funny, I wasn’t sure this team was going to be as good of a free-throw shooting team as we have become,” Swaby said.

Cardinal Mooney was led by Kali Barrett with 12 points while Sam Kotasek, Sy’Monique Simon and Madi Mignery each scored 11.