- April 25, 2024
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Lexi Duckett became the first Lopez player to score 40 points since Malik Maitland in 2015. Photos by Jeff Dawsey
Some of the Lopez basketball players kept asking, "Who' s guarding her?" as Duckett continued to increase her point total. Photos by Jeff Dawsey
Duckett scored with free throws, layups, reverse layups, 2- and 3-pointers. Photos by Jeff Dawsey
Photos by Jeff Dawsey
Photos by Jeff Dawsey
Photos by Jeff Dawsey
Photos by Jeff Dawsey
Photos by Jeff Dawsey
Photos by Jeff Dawsey
Father Lopez (22-7) sophomore Lexi Duckett earned her favorite dinner — Hawaiian quesadillas at Agave Mexican Restaurant — after setting a new school record with 48 points on Thursday, Feb. 10, at Lopez.
Duckett nearly matched her previous career-high (29) by scoring 23 first-quarter points in the Green Wave’s 78-46 win over Auburndale in the region quarterfinals.
“Lexi couldn’t miss in the first quarter,” head coach Brad Ridenour said. “Her performance is right up there with the best performance I’ve ever coached. The other was a McDonald’s All-American. That first quarter set the tone for the whole game.”
Duckett made her first 11 shots of the game and finished 19-for-32 from the field. She also grabbed eight rebounds.
“After my first shot, Duckett said, “I just felt ready; I felt confident.”
Better than the best
Leading up to the game, Auburndale’s Erin Wilson — Florida’s leading scorer at 32.9 points per game — dominated media talk after recording 100 points (58 and 42) in her two games before Lopez. Duckett outscored Wilson by 18 points.
Getting serious
Prior to high school, Duckett didn’t take basketball seriously. She loved baseball more and devoted her time to hitting and catching ball, not shooting them.
But, during the summer before freshman year, she met DME Sports Co-Founder and Owner Mike Panaggio, who trained her at an Embry-Riddle basketball camp. In just two years, Duckett has already gained interest from colleges, and she has become one of the area’s top players.
“It shows that her hard work is paying off,” said Kim Amadon, her mother. “And, she has a great team surrounding her. As much as I enjoy watching her, I love to watch the entire team play as a unit.”
Duckett’s father, James, told her that if she wanted to be an elite player, she had to dominate. So, after seeing her best career performance, he said, “I was definitely proud of her. If she keeps playing like this, I’m excited to see what she does in the future.”
The Green Wave will play Edgewater in the region semifinal at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 14, in Orlando.
Game stats
Lopez Junior Madi Camporese finished with six points, 10 rebounds and nine assists. Freshman Tiera White added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
