St. Francis Drops Playoff Game to Florida A&M

As the buzzer rang out in the gym last night, 11 boys lost their chance to go to the state semifinal in the Class 3A Boys Basketball Regional Final. The St. Francis Catholic Wolves (14-15) dropped last night’s matchup against the Florida A&M Baby Rattlers (20-9) with a final score of 62-55 in the neutral playoff game.

Game Overview

Last night, the Wolves could not rally in the opening half against the Baby Rattlers. Scoring just nine points in the first quarter, half the number of points scored by the Baby Rattlers, the Wolves were unable to regroup fast enough by the end of the contest, resulting in a loss by seven points.

Building Throughout the Season

After losing in the regional finals last season, the Wolves knew there was a lot to build on moving forward. Coach Issac Selva said they knew they were good enough, but they wanted to challenge themselves with their schedule.

“I think the last three weeks, month or so, we’ve realized that all of those challenges have paid off,” Selva said.

Selva said one of the keys going into the game last night was controlling possession, specifically through rebounds. However, the Wolves allowed the Baby Rattlers to stay on top through the entire game Tuesday night.

Moving Forward

Florida A&M will continue its tournament play in the state semifinals on March 5 at 6 p.m. The Baby Rattlers will compete against tonight’s winner in the Orlando Christian Prep-Mount Dora Christian Academy matchup.