Saint Francis Boys Basketball Wins Thriller Against Oak Hall

By Tyler Brodie and Jackson Lynch

Saint Francis Catholic Academy came out victorious Monday night, edging Oak Hall 59-56 in the quarterfinals of the 2A-District 2 boys basketball tournament.

Behind a game-high 27 points from senior William Collett, Saint Francis secured a dramatic victory in their final home game of the season. The Wolves finished 9-1 at home.

Collett, the son of longtime Florida Gators basketball PA announcer Tom Collett, sank a game-winning 3-pointer in the final seconds to seal the win. Collett battled leukemia as a child before becoming SFCA’s star. 

“His energy is contagious, he’s been doing this all year, he’s been consistent, he’s our go-to guy. He’s just clutch, kind of like Steph Curry.” — Coach Larry Walker emphasized Collett’s impact on the Wolves.

Game of Runs And Tension

SFCA (14-8) started slowly in falling behind 5-0 to start the game. SFCA junior Brett Thomas provided an early spark off the bench by draining a triple on his first shot to fuel an 8-0 run.

The Wolves led 11-6 after the first quarter. The second quarter introduced new momentum for both teams, with Oak Hall (8-14) narrowly outscoring SFCA 19-16 to cut its deficit to 27-25 at halftime in the highest-scoring period.

SFCA goes on a 7-0 run, capped off by this Cyrus Fariborzian layup to extend the lead to 27-20. Oak Hall calls timeout to regroup. pic.twitter.com/UaQoxRIXVS

— Jackson Lynch (@JLynchSports) February 3, 2025

The game’s intensity ramped up in the second half. Collett opened the third with a 3 and scored six points in the first 90 seconds.

Oak Hall responded by taking the lead after five consecutive points from senior Gavin Jones. Collett got hot by scoring 10 in the quarter. At the end of the third quarter, Collet’s efforts fell short as SFCA was losing 39-45.

The fourth quarter saw many clutch moments and a momentum shift. A 9-0 run from SFCA capped by an and-1 3-pointer from Collett with 1:44 left in the game gave the Wolves a 50-49 lead.

And-1 3-pointer by William Collett to give SFCA the lead, 50-49 with 1:44 left. This place is rocking! pic.twitter.com/sZinJXDKJB

— Jackson Lynch (@JLynchSports) February 4, 2025

A back-and-forth battle in the final two minutes left the game knotted up at 56 with seven seconds left. After a group of boisterous Oak Hall fans were ejected, Collett delivered a defining moment, sinking a quick release 3 off the final inbound play to win the game. 

Final: William Collett hit a game-winning 3-pointer to propel SFCA to a 59-56 victory over Oak Hall. Collett finished with 27 points. SFCA will advance and face top-seeded P.K. Yonge in the 2A District 2 semi-finals on Wednesday. @ESPNGainesville pic.twitter.com/N0zB0LCuxZ

— Jackson Lynch (@JLynchSports) February 4, 2025

Stats

• William Collett: 27 points (10-21 FG and 5-12 3PT), 2 steals 
• Brett Thomas: 10 points (4-6 FG), 4 assists
• Liam Banks: 9 points (3-10 FG), 6 assists
• Jonah Powers: 7 points (3-10 FG), 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals
• Cyrus Fariborzian: 4 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals

Up Next

Four seed SFCA faces top-seeded P.K. Yonge (8-16) in the district semifinals Wednesday night in the Blue Wave gym.

2025 FHSAA Boys Basketball District Tournaments 2A District 2