Seffner Christian Captures 3A District 10 Championship
The 3A District 10 Championship took place at Seffner Christian between Santa Fe Catholic and the home team, Seffner Christian. Both teams had solid crowds who made the atmosphere fantastic for two teams who will have to meet again in…
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Continue ReadingThe 3A District 10 Championship took place at Seffner Christian between Santa Fe Catholic and the home team, Seffner Christian. Both teams had solid crowds who made the atmosphere fantastic for two teams who will have to meet again in the postseason on Thursday in the same place.
Seffner came out ready and ran out to a 9-0 lead in the first few minutes before Santa Fe settled down a bit to make it 13-5 after the 1st. The Crusaders went on another run when Kali Barber hit a big 3 and stole a long pass that she gave up to KK Davis behind the arch for a quick 6 points. The Hawks did not go away though with Courtni Demorest scoring 10 of her team-high 19 in the 2nd. The half ended with a deep 3 from Nini Davenport to put the score at 41-26 in favor of the Crusaders.
Seffner Christian came out of the break with a lot of energy behind Kali who had 10 of her game-high 23 in the 3rd. It was all Crusaders in the third, but Kassidy Jones did what she could to keep her team in it with some nice buckets and 8 of the teams 10 points in the period. Seffner took a 61-36 lead into the final quarter.
The 4th was the only quarter that the Hawks outscored the Crusaders, but it was too little too late. The final score ended up being 74-55, and the Seffner Christian Crusaders clinched some home court advantage as 3A District 10 champs!
Here were some of the standouts from the first round between these two:
Seffner Christian (21-5, #2 seed in Region 3)
Kali Barber (2020) – Kali showed out in her last ever district game. She shot the ball very well (three 3’s), had 6 steals, and a strong block in the big win. Kali finished with a game-high 23 points by shooting at a high clip, especially in the 2nd and 3rd quarters where she was the catalyst on some huge scoring runs. It was the best and most complete all-around game I’ve seen her play all year.
Nini Davenport (2023) – She is a shooter that you don’t want to see get hot if you are playing her. Unfortunately for the Hawks, she did just that by going 5 for 7 (14 points) from the field with four of those being treys. All four of those were hit in the second quarter as well, sending the Hawks fans into disbelief and panic. Nini is exciting to watch catch the ball if she’s on a streak, because that baby could be going up from anywhere within the gym!
CC Mays (2020) – CC just did CC things all game long. Need a tough bucket? She’s got you. Need a big rebound? No problem. Need some swagger? You know she’s coming through! She finished with 12 points and 12 boards in a strong double double effort. CC has to be one of the toughest guards in the state to guard with her ability to stop on a dime and score from any part of the floor. She also is strong enough to power through any of those smaller, quicker defenders you put on her to try and keep up. She’s one of the hardest players to match up against 1-on-1 in the state.
Tajah Spaulding (2021) – I’ve been more and more impressed with Tajah in each game I’ve seen. She’s always hitting a clutch bucket when her team needs it, and she’s always there for a big steal when you think the other team is building momentum. Tajah had 10 points and 4 steals as a key factor for this team that can really take them to the next level in the postseason.
KK Davis (2020) – KK is known for her defense and passing since she doesn’t shoot the ball much with so many scorers on this team, but she’s more than capable when she needs to. She finished with 7 points, 11 assists, and 4 steals in a teriffic effort. KK is fun to watch lead this offense and defense with the way she shares the wealth and takes care of the rock.
Santa Fe Catholic (21-5, #7 seed in Region 3)
Courtni Demorest (2021) – Courtni was the only Hawk to shoot over 50% on her team, and she did it with a lot of confidence. She’s a great shooter who contributed a team-high 19 points and 7 rebounds against a quality team. She was on fire in the second quarter to keep her team’s hopes alive with her ability to shoot from anywhere and over anyone.
Kassidy Jones (2021) – Kassidy started the game off slow by getting her teammates involved, but she came alive in the second half to finish with 15 points. She’s a tough one to stop with her height, handles, and shooting stroke. I always like the energy she brings when her team is getting down, and this is a team who is capable of beating anyone if she can lead her squad by keeping their heads up in trying times.
Omega Payton (2021) – Omega did not have her best offensive night, but she’s always going to make a big impact in some way. Her impact on Friday was 12 rebounds, 5 steals, 3 steals, and 6 points. There aren’t many guards in the state that have the quickness and strength she has to get the the rim and finish. Omega is also a terror on defense with her quick hands and speed to get in the passing lanes.
These teams will face off again in the same place on Thursday at 7pm for the Region 3 Quarterfinals.