Black Tuesday: Palm Beach County boys basketball suffers worst playoff night of modern era
Palm Beach County's prolific boys basketball programs staggered to a historic early exit from the FHSAA playoffs on Tuesday night.
All five of the county's remaining high school boys basketball teams lost road matchups during the second round, officially known as region semifinals.
It is the worst postseason performance for Palm Beach County boys basketball programs since the playoffs expanded to include three rounds of regionals (quarterfinals, semifinals and championships) in 1994.
The county's programs have produced at least a state semifinalist in every season since 1997. Cardinal Newman and Palm Beach Gardens each reached region finals that season.
The FHSAA expanded its basketball postseason before the 1994 season to include three rounds of regional competition en route to state semifinal and championship matchups.
Previously, Florida programs competed in regional and sectional rounds to reach the state semifinals. Santaluces and Benjamin made the deepest local playoff runs in 1993, losing in the second round, which was known as sectionals.
County programs have accounted for 13 state championships in the modern era of FHSAA expansion.
On Tuesday, Dwyer saw its state championship defense end with a dismal second-half performance against St. Thomas Aquinas in Broward County. The Panthers trailed 33-20 at the half and scored just 7 points in the second half of a 57-27 loss.
Recent: Stay up to date with Palm Beach County high school basketball coverage
Scroll down to view scores from Tuesday's basketball matchups as well as a look at the deepest playoff runs from Palm Beach County boys basketball teams during the modern era:
Playoff Roundup
St. Thomas Aquinas 57, Dwyer 27
Oak Ridge 85, Lake Worth 60
Westminster Academy 69, St. Andrew's 65
Windermere Prep 76, Cardinal Newman 63
Sagemont 79, Atlantic Christian 54
Year-by-Year: Palm Beach County's Top Playoff Finishers
2024 – 5 teams, region semifinalists
2023 – Dwyer, 6A state champion
2022 – Lake Worth, 7A state semifinalist
2021 – Dwyer, 7A state runner-up
2020 – St. Andrew’s, 3A state champion
2019 – Wellington, 9A state runner-up
2018 – Wellington, 8A state runner-up
2017 – Wellington, 9A state semifinalist; Palm Beach Lakes, 8A state semifinalist
2016 – Grandview Prep, 2A state champion
2015 – Wellington, 8A state champion
2014 – Grandview Prep, 2A state finalist
2013 – Grandview Prep, 2A state champion
2012 – Spanish River, 8A state semifinalist; Grandview Prep, 2A state semifinalist
2011 – Dwyer, 5A state champion; Summit Christian, 1A state champion
2010 – Dwyer, 5A state semifinalist; Summit Christian, Grandview Prep, 1A state semifinalists
2009 – Summit Christian, 2A state runner-up; Grandview Prep, 1A state runner-up
2008 – Grandview Prep, 1A state runner-up
2007 – Summit Christian, 2A state semifinalist; Grandview Prep, 1A state semifinalist
2006 – St. Andrew’s, 3A state runner-up; Benjamin, 2A state runner-up
2005 – Dwyer, 5A state champion
2004 – Dwyer, 5A state champion
2003 – Boynton Beach, 5A state runner-up
2002 – Glades Central, 4A state runner-up
2001 – Benjamin, 2A state champion
2000 – Cardinal Newman, 3A state champion
1999 – Cardinal Newman, 3A state champion
1998 – Pahokee, 3A state semifinalist
1997 – Palm Beach Gardens, 5A region finalist; Cardinal Newman, 3A region finalist
1996 – Dwyer, 5A state semifinalist; Pahokee, 3A state semifinalist
1995 – St. Andrew’s, 3A state runner-up
1994 – Cardinal Newman, 2A state runner-up
*FHSAA state playoffs expansion; Region quarter-, semi- and finals introduced
1993 – Santaluces, 4A sectionals; Benjamin, 1A sectionals
Eric J. Wallace is deputy sports editor for The Palm Beach Post. He can be reached at ejwallace@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County boys basketball suffers worst playoffs of modern era
