Boca Middle Cobras come up short in county girls’ hoops final
Watson B. Duncan Middle School rallied from a 28-23 halftime deficit and ended host Boca Middle School’s county-best, 25-game winning streak to shock the Cobras 38-36 in the Palm Beach County girls’ basketball championship.
It wasn’t for the stunning performance of Boca Middle eighth-grader Ameera Koné, who scored all 36 of her team’s points in the contest. Her half-court, buzzer-beating 3-point attempt was just off the mark.
The Cobras crushed host Roosevelt Middle last season 40-15 in the title game for the first girls’ county basketball title in school history and also completed a perfect 13-0 season. Boca Middle rolled to 12 consecutive wins this season before the championship game loss.
Duncan’s Maressa Deitch scored a team-high 17 points for the Panthers (13-0). The Panthers’ Olivia Perezalonso added nine points to help her team’s cause. Laydince Hallas scored five of her nine points in the final period as they held off the late charge by the Cobras.
Boca Middle School girls’ basketball coach Breana Koné said she was extremely proud of her team’s performance, not only in the championship game but the season as well.
“The final game was not the outcome many expected, but as a coach, I’m still proud of the journey and growth,” said Koné, who returned just one starter from last year’s county championship team, her daughter, Ameera. “The newbies stepped up phenomenally all year long despite limited experience.
“This game was definitely a March Madness type of game,” Koné said. “Our opponents were ready, and although we were too, our team missed a lot of shots we would normally make. Our scoring became very one-dimensional, which made it easier for our opponents to key in defensively.”
Koné said Duncan worked hard for the victory and applauded their effort.
“I’m proud of the girls nonetheless and I absolutely congratulate Duncan and their team for a hard-fought win,” she said. “They kept fighting through their deficit, which eventually led them to a victory. There are a lot of great moments and growth that my girls will remember from this season, and I can only hope they will not be overshadowed because we didn’t win the championship.”
“In spite of the loss, I enjoyed this season with great teammates, and I’ll miss playing for my mom next year,” said Ameera Koné, who will head to Boca High next season to continue her hoops career.