Lady Blazers, Lady Sailors ready for state

The Sarasota Christian girls basketball team will vie for the FHSAA Class 2A state championship this afternoon, at the Lakeland Center.

The Lady Blazers (23-7), who beat Academy at the Lakes 68-59 in the state semifinals Feb. 18, will face Boca Raton Grandview Prep (24-2), a 41-39 winner over FAMU, at 3:35 p.m. McKenzie Lantz scored 21 points to lead the way for Sarasota Christian in the state semifinals. Cheyenne Miller added a season-high 17 points. Megan Garriott also finished in double figures with 12 points.

Sarasota Christian is looking for its first state title. The Lady Blazers last appeared in the state championship in 2008.

In Class 7A, the Sarasota High girls basketball team will be making its first Final Four appearance since 2002. The Lady Sailors (26-4) will face Harmony (26-3) at 7 p.m. tonight, at the Lakeland Center.

Sarasota is led by junior Camille Giardina, who transferred from Cardinal Mooney, junior Zharia Grable, and freshmen Madison Pack and Ja’da Bennett. The Lady Sailors four losses this season have been by a combined 18 points and they’ve only allowed more than 50 points in one game this season — 56 to Fort Myers in the regional finals.

A win tonight and Sarasota will advance to the state championship for the first time since 2001. The winner of tonight’s contest between Sarasota and Harmony will face the winner of the other state semifinal between Apopka Wekiva and Palm Beach Lakes in the state championship at 5:05 p.m. Feb. 22.

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Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].