Two of the top teams in Miami Dade faced off on Thursday night. The Westminster Christian Warriors came into this game with a big win against arguably the best team in Broward county, Calvary Christian. Florida Christian was looking to bounce back, as they had lost two of their last three games to very tough opponents in Calusa Prep and Doral Academy.
One thing was clear tonight: both teams have elite shooters. The action started right away in this game. Westminster Christian’s Sal Stewart scored the first points of the game with a three-pointer. In the next possession, Florida Christian’s David Hernandez hit a shot from behind the arc. This would be the theme of the game, especially the first half.
Patriots forward Jordan Guerrero was excellent from downtown, shooting 75 percent on 9-of-12 shooting. Guerrero also shot 3-of-6 from inside the arc, giving him 33 points on the night, which led all scorers. Guerrero hit a game-tying 3 pointer with 18 seconds left in the first overtime to force double overtime.
Warriors guard Frankie Idlett stepped up in the second overtime, scoring five of the team’s nine points in that period. In triple overtime, Guerrero started off the period by banking in a floater. Then Idlett blew past his defender and split the defense for a layup to tie up the game. Florida Christian’s Alex Viera was then fouled and made one of his two free throws. On the other end, Idlett was fouled and also made one of his two free throws. And in FCS’ last possession of the game, Joey Brown, who played at Westminster last season, created enough contact to draw a foul with 1.9 seconds left. He made both free throws to ice the game and give his team a 78-76 victory.
As playoffs near, both teams will be serious competitors to come out of their district and to make a run at a regional championship.
