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GIRLS HOOPS: Tornadoes Turn Back Devils

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Booker's Latayvia Butler harasses Avon Park's Daija Barrett during the second half of Tuesday's game.

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By CHRIS HOFFMAN

Highlands Today

Published: December 11, 2008

AVON PARK - The Avon Park girls basketball team learned just what happens when you don't put a down-and-out opponent away when you have the chance.

Defending district champion Booker was down by seven points to start the third quarter and Avon Park looked poised to add to that lead after a trio of turnovers by the Tornadoes, but Booker shooting guard Kay Larkins scored a game-high 17 points, including seven back-breaking points in overtime, as Avon Park was held to just three points in the extra frame in a 42-35 overtime loss in a Class 4A-District 10 clash on Tuesday.

"We couldn't handle Larkins even when we tried pressing her," said AP forward Daija Barrett. "We gave Larkins and their other outside shooters too much space and they knocked down some tough shots to get them back in the game."

The loss drops Avon Park to 4-4 overall and 3-2 in district play, while Booker improves to 7-1 and 5-1 on the season.

This was the first of three straight district games for the Red Devils, who admitted they desperately needed this game to ignite the fire they had at the beginning of the season.

"We needed this game to help us get our confidence back," said Red Devil head coach Paulette Daley. "Turnovers killed us tonight. We mishandled the ball and made some lazy and crazy passes that they were able to convert into points. We weren't very disciplined at all.

"We, as a team, have to learn to deal with the pressure that comes with playing in these types of games. You have to learn to win games like this if you're going to be able to win a district title."

Avon Park had trouble putting points on the board against the Booker press, as the Red Devils failed to score in double-digits in any quarter, including scoring just three points in overtime.

With the score knotted at 32 to start overtime, Larkins put on a clinic in front of the Red Devil fans by scoring six points during an 8-0 opening run that was enough to sink Avon Park.

"I don't know what to tell you about the overtime," Barrett said. "Booker was hitting shots from all over and we couldn't buy a basket not to mention hang on to the ball."

Avon Park turned the ball over 29 times and only had two assists for the game - two stats that jumped out to Daley in the aftermath of the loss.

"The pressure defense that Booker played forced us into playing a very uncharacteristic game for us," Daley said. "We would force the issue by making ill-advised cross court passes and dribbled into their half-court trap that usually forced a turnover."

In the fourth, Barrett gave Avon Park a boost of leadership by applying some pressure defense that forced a pair of turnovers that she converted into jumpers to give the Red Devils a 30-26 lead with 1:48 left in the quarter.

The Tornadoes worked the ball around to their perimeter shooters, who drilled a pair of 10-footers and Letayvia Butler's lay-up tied the game at 32 with 17.7 seconds left.

Avon Park would have one chance to win the game, but Booker's pressure defense held AP in check as the seconds ticked off without a shot.

AP point guard Beonca Godfrey, who was held to just eight points, suffered a thigh bruise early in the game and was visibly slowed by the injury, as she was without her trademark quick first step that didn't allow her to breeze by defenders or slash to the basket as often.

"It bothered me for most of the game, but I stretched it out at half time and I just told myself that I had to get back into my rhythm," Godfrey said. "We just didn't play our game like I know we're capable of. Booker didn't press us much last year and I don't think we respected their defense coming into the game."

Every time it looked like the Red Devils were ready to run the Tornadoes out of the building, they faltered. Case in point, the second half.

The Red Devils has just taken a seven-point lead on a lay-up by Beonca Godfrey that was set up by a beautiful pass by Barrett for a 21-14 lead early in the third. The momentum visibly had shifted to AP, as Booker's guards were pressured at every turn by the Red Devil trap.

But fortunes can turn on a dime.

After Larkin's free throw and an Avon Park turnover, center Anna Traver drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing and point guard Brittani Williams scored on a steal to cut the lead to just one.

With one last chance to put the Tornadoes away, English sank a bucket to open the final stanza for a five-point advantage, but Booker kept chipping away until they tied the game in the final seconds.

Avon Park center Johnequa Perry scored six points and hauled in a team-high nine rebounds for the Red Devils, who are back on the court Friday when they travel to face DeSoto in another district match-up.

Chris Hoffman can be reached at 863-386-5837 or choffman@highlandstoday.com

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