Boca Raton girls basketball: Freshman shines in playoff win over Park Vista
BOCA RATON — Boca Raton girls basketball won its eighth straight game on Thursday night, sweeping Park Vista 57-35 in a regional quarterfinal matchup.
Senior forward Stefania Markel was the top scorer with 20. Every shot went in — five from 2-point range and three 3-pointers.
Freshman guard Tatyana Campise-Pinkney was all over the court for Boca Raton (21-7), hitting four 3-pointers and two from the paint for 16 points.
“(The) standout player tonight was our freshman, Tatyana,” said head coach Roderick Johnson. “She was excellent tonight and brought what we did in training to the game.”
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“Defense is the key to win games”
Park Vista (15-7) struggled to take any control in Thursday's contest.
The two sides met last week in their district championship match at Deerfield High School, where the Cobras fell 57-34, just one point different from the regional match.
This time, the Cobras struggled to go on the offensive and put points on the board, managing just 10 points in the first half.
The Bobcats did not hold back as they scored 36 points by the end of the second quarter.
“We did great defensively,” Johnson said. “The last couple days we had practice, it was mainly on defense. Defense turned into offense, and that’s how we get off points on the defensive end.”
In the second half, the Cobras picked it up a little, but it was never going to be enough to turn the game around as the Bobcats grabbed turnover after turnover.
“We had a couple of days to prepare,” said Johnson. “The girls just did exactly what they did in practice and executed tonight.”
Now Boca Raton strolls into the regional semifinal against either Coral Springs or Doral on Valentine’s Day (Tuesday).
“Once we get back into practice," Johnson said, "we're just going to prepare for whoever falls into the lower bracket, study their game. Defense is the key to winning games.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Tatyana Campise-Pinkney stars for Boca Raton in playoff victory
