Largo denies Westlake shot at states
Westlake took its floor on Friday night with hopes of earning its first girls regional basketball championship since 2005, and for close to five minutes those chances looked to be pretty strong.
The rest of the game was another story.
Following a Largo time-out with 3 minutes 12 seconds remaining in the first quarter — with Westlake in front 12-9 — Largo outscored the host Wolverines 41-9 over the rest of the first half to essentially put the game away. The second-seeded Lions went on to repeat as 3A South champs with an 81-54 win over the top-seeded Wolverines.
Largo (22-3) has won the region three of the past four seasons, and won the 3A championship in 2007. Westlake (21-3) reached the state semifinals four times in five seasons between 2001 and 2005, but was unable to to do much with Largo, particularly in the second quarter of the regional final.
Brittany Nelson scored 22 points, while Jessical Lyons scored 20 and Cierra Johnson 16 to pace a potent Largo attack. The Lions knocked down nine three-pointers and their unrelenting defense forced over 20 Westlake turnovers in the first half alone.
Erin Blaine led the Wolverines with 21 points. 
Largo 81, Westlake 54
Largo: Taylor 22, Lyons 20, Johnson 16, Morris 9, Holland 6, Souder 4, Nelson 2, Winslow 2
Westlake: Blaine 21, Jones-Harris 11, Young 6, Bell 4, Goree 4, Beckett 3, Swann 3, Key 2
Free throws: Largo 18-33; Westlake 18-36
Three-pointers: Largo 9 (B. Taylor 4, Johnson 3, Lyons, Souder)
E-mail Andy States at astates@smacsportsnet.com
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