- April 24, 2024
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Shakaria Scantling's 19 points put Seabreeze in the district championship against top-seeded Edgewater.
BY MATT MENCARINI | STAFF WRITER
It’s one down and one more to go for the Seabreeze girls basketball team.
The Lady Sandcrabs beat Deltona 59-26 Thursday night, in the Class 6A, District 8 semifinals, setting up a championship game against top-seeded Edgewater Feb. 2, at Seabreeze.
Seabreeze was led by Shakaria Scantling, who was the game’s leading scorer with 19 points and either out-scored or tied the entire Deltona team for much of the game.
At the half, Seabreeze led 24-13, with Scantling at 13 points. She pulled ahead of Deltona 15-14 with 3:42 left in the third quarter.
“She had an up-and-down season,” head coach James Johnson said. “Some games, she played very well. She hasn’t had a really good game since New Smyrna (Beach)."
But he "got on her" Wednesday, before Thursday night's Deltona match-up, he said. "It’s districts time," he told her. "We need you more than ever.’”
The district championship game (7 p.m. Saturday) will feature the two top-seeded teams on the bracket, after Edgewater beat Mainland 65-15 in the first game Thursday night.
“They’re a really good team,” Johnson said. “We’re just going to have to come out and play with the same intensity we did tonight. ... I think we can make it a game. I know everybody is counting us out, but we’re going to show up to play basketball.”
Both Seabreeze and Edgewater like to press their opponents but Johnson said Edgewater may shoot better than his squad, which could make the difference if Seabreeze doesn't compensate.
“We’re really going to have to be disciplined on defense, and we’re going to have to rebound,” he said. “I think the X-Factor is going to be Zhamiria Bell.”
