Godfrey's Lay-Up Gives AP Comeback Win Over District Foe

AVON PARK - Nobody can tell the Avon Park girls basketball team it can't handle pressure.
The Red Devils proved that time and time again in their 46-45 comeback victory over Palmetto in a Class 4A-District 10 showdown on Thursday night.

Avon Park, which routed Braden River 69-46 on Tuesday, got all it could handle with Palmetto's "box-and-one" defense, but still found a way to squeak out a win.

"This game really tested us," said AP head coach Paulette Daley. "We didn't give up and showed the will to win tonight. That is not to take anything away from Palmetto. They played a great game and pushed us to the limit."

With the win, Avon Park improves to 2-0, with both wins coming against district opponents, while Palmetto falls to 1-1 overall and in the district.

Down 45-44 with less than a minute to play, Avon Park had just committed yet another turnover and Palmetto was poised to run down the clock and extend its lead. But AP point guard Beona Godfrey, who had her pocket picked of the ball to give it back to Palmetto, had other ideas, as she stripped the ball at mid-court and raced for the lay-up and the foul.

The home crowd erupted along with the Red Devil bench, while Godfrey slapped the hands of her teammates and headed to the line.

The drama wasn't over, as Godfrey missed the free throw, and with 37 seconds left, the Tigers mounted an offense, trying to get the ball to the hot hand of guard Brittany Williams, who finished with 12 points on the night.

The ball found its way to Williams' hand and her shot looked on target but the clang was sweet music to the crowd, as AP rebounded the ball as the buzzer sounded and the fans rushed the floor for the celebration.

Godfrey and the rest of the Red Devils were weary of a celebration: They smiled, shook hands with their opponents and walked to the locker room, seemingly spent of all they had to give.

"These girls stuck with it, and Coach Daley guided us through the mistakes we made down the stretch to get this win," Godfrey said. "[Palmetto] trapped me at half court and stole the ball, so I really wanted to make up for that."

Forward Breanna Tate led the Red Devils with 12 points, while Jamee and Markida Hawthorne had 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Palmetto showed why they're going to be a force in the district this season, having already defeated Sebring 38-30 on Tuesday. The Tigers disrupted Avon Park's offensive rhythm by getting into the Red Devil passing lanes to force turnovers, while making the shots early on to keep them in the game.

The Tigers ended each quarter strong, with Williams draining a 3-pointer at the buzzer in the first to cut the Avon Park lead down to one. Just before the half, Palmetto scored four points off Red Devil turnovers bring the game within one point, while another pair of baskets at the end of the third tied the game at 34 heading into the final stanza.

Daley knows her team isn't where they should be and that future practices will be all about conditioning and ball control.

"We have to minimize those mental mistakes," the AP coach said. "We're not use to that kind of pressure I don't think they knew how to react.
"It isn't like we don't go over those kinds of things in practice, but I promise you that they will get better."