After graduating its top four scorers from last season’s Class 6A state runner-up team the Evans boys basketball team has to work harder for points this year.
But the Trojans are once again ranked as one of the top state title contenders and they can thank their sticky defense and ability to prevail in overtime games for that status. Evans (14-4) won its second OT game in two nights on Friday, rallying from 10 points down for a 47-44 homecourt victory over Windermere (9-9) in the Metro Conference West tournament final.
In the Metro East final, host Oak Ridge (12-7) used its pressure defense to defeat Winter Park 60-38.
Evans forced the extra four minutes in its game when smallish senior guard Johnny Wright dribbled across the lane and banked in a clutch shot to tie the score 40-40.
Abimael Belleus, a 6-foot-2 junior guard, scored 6 of Evans’ 7 points in overtime. That included two free throws and two baskets. His spinning off-hand scoop shot gave the Trojans a 45-42 lead that stood up.
“I just wanted to get the bucket,” Belleus said afterward. “We needed it. We gotta keep stacking up wins.”
Evans is No. 4 in the FHSAA 6A rankings behind defending state champion St. Thomas Aquinas, Bartow and Mainland.
Evans edged Edgewater 51-48 in extra time in a Thursday semifinal game, also at home. The Trojans are 3-0 in OT games including a Dec. 23 win against Sickles (15-4) of Tampa in a holiday event.
Windermere, playing without savvy senior point guard Lucas Boyd — the only returning starter from its 2024-25 Class 7A state runner-up team — closed to within 45-44 on free throws by Gustavo Roca but missed its final three contested shots.
“We were lethargic in the first half,” Evans coach Lonza Morgan said. “Once defense started creating offense we got going.”
Belleus finished with 14 points. Nikarens Deceus, a 6-4 junior, scored 9 points on three 3-point shots in the win. Dewayne Holiday, a 6-10 senior, was a force inside with 3 blocked shots.
The victory was the second this season against Windermere, which had previously gone 8-0 against the Trojans dating to 2019.
Ben Bunnell, a 6-4 Windermere senior, had a game-high 16 points. Kaiden King added 9 in the loss.
Boyd suffered a fracture above his right wrist in Windermere’s 58-47 win against the tournament top seed, Olympia, on Thursday. The Wolverines edged Dr. Phillips 64-61 in a Tuesday quarterfinal in a tournament where almost every game was tight.
Windermere continues its rugged schedule with a Tuesday home game against next door neighbor Windermere Prep (14-3), which is second behind Lake Highland Prep (15-1) in the Orlando area rankings — just ahead of Evans.
Evans stays home to play Lake Brantley (11-7) on Tuesday.
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Evans loses heartbreaker to No. 1 Aquinas in FHSAA 6A basketball final
Varsity content editor Buddy Collings can be contacted by email at bcollings@orlandosentinel.com.
