- November 24, 2024
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The Lakewood Ranch boys basketball team defeated Gulf Coast 72-34 in a Class 8A Region 3 quarterfinal on Thursday.
The game started out even, with the two teams trading buckets throughout the first quarter. The Mustangs pulled ahead slightly in the second, and went into halftime with a 36-26 lead.
In the third quarter, Lakewood Ranch wasted no time in effectively ending the game early.
The Mustangs went on a 25-0 run, thanks to some slick shooting and a relentless full-court press that forced Gulf Coast to make countless bad decisions.
In typical Lakewood Ranch fashion, the team's scoring was balanced. Senior Sam Hester led the way with 14 points, but senior Justin Muscara added 13 points and six rebounds, and senior Devin Twenty and junior Jack Kelley contributed 11 points each.
The Mustangs will next play Palmetto at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at home. Lakewood Ranch won both previous meetings against Palmetto this season, by scores of 83-61 and 73-48.