'We figured out how to execute': Booker T. boys basketball beats Pine Forest at home

It was a rivalry game that was defined by the fourth quarter.

Twice, the Pine Forest boys basketball team hit a shot in the dying seconds of the first and second quarters to keep the game against Booker T. Washington deadlocked. First was a trio of free throws from Maurice Smith after he was fouled on a 3-pointer at the buzzer. Then Kayden Calderon hit a 3-pointer from the corner with about 8 seconds left in the half.

The score was tied at 22.

The Eagles seemingly had momentum and held onto a lead – albeit small – throughout the entire third frame before the Wildcats scored five unanswered points with three free throws and a breakaway dunk from Alex Jasquith. Booker T. took a 39-38 advantage into the final frame.

Then, the Wildcats started to run away.

While Pine Forest was never out of striking distance, fouls from the Eagles and converted free throws from the Wildcats put the game out of reach in the final two minutes, securing a 60-51 victory for Booker T. on Friday at Ronnie and Janis Bond Gym. It’s the first time Booker T. has beaten county rival Pine Forest at home since Dec. 1, 2017 – a 68-65 win.

Wildcats head coach Dwayne Louis said his team “weathered the storm” of the Eagles.

“We won,” Louis said behind what sounded like a sigh of relief. “They always play us tough. They always manage to find a way to have a little bit more than we have. Tonight, we were able to just hold them off.”

On the flipside, Pine Forest head coach Ty McCants was pretty blunt.

“We can’t finish. We don’t know how to close a game,” McCants said. “When it was close, we missed a lot of free throws and turned it over. We did a lot of dumb stuff. … We missed a lot of free throws down the stretch to bring it close. We’ve got to stick to the gameplan when we really need to.”

Pine Forest falls to a .500 record (9-9), having dropped back-to-back contests after losing on the road to West Florida on Thursday. The Eagles’ stretch of games continues Saturday with a home game against Destin at 5 p.m.

Booker T. (13-6), winners of its last three matchups, travels to Tate on Tuesday for a 7:30 p.m. matchup.

“That’s one of the best teams in our region. Just because their schedule doesn’t look like it, they’re one of the best in the region,” Louis said. “We have not had success against them. So, to come out with a win, I’ll take it.”

Here are three takeaways from the District 1-5A contest.

Adapting to the situation

Booker T. showed its adaptability in full force on Friday.

Simple shots just weren’t falling during the first half for the Wildcats, missing some layups and short jumpers. That’s when Jasquith and Kyle Shirley got things started in the first quarter, hitting three 3-pointers – two of which opened the scoring to take an early 6-0 advantage.

While free throws were dropping for the Wildcats, the 3-pointer was working.

Things changed in the second half when Louis needed his team to use their size to their advantage. Booker T. has an average height of roughly 6 feet, 2 inches, including a couple players towering at 6-foot-6 or 6-foot-7.

The Wildcats shifted to a playstyle that was more inside, working hard for layups and trying to draw fouls.

“Having a tough schedule so we can play different levels of basketball and play different styles of basketball – some nights we’ve got to play big and inside, some nights we’ve got to play small – has helped us. But when you’re playing in different levels of competition, you’ve got to adjust your game,” Louis said. “I think we’re getting a better feel of what it takes to win. …

“We had a better size advantage around the rim. So we wanted to play inside and play off of it a little bit. We don’t want to give up shooting, because we can shoot it. However, if we can get that ball inside and get some easy two’s, work the foul count, we’ll take it. We’ll use that to our advantage.”

Booker T. made 16 free throws in the second half, playing a physical game.

“We figured out how to execute. We just use what we have,” Jasquith said. “That helped us win.”

Jasquith led the Wildcats with 30 points with 14 made free throws.

“You just have to tune out the crowd, knock down the free throws, and get them off the court,” Jasquith said.

A rivalry win for momentum

The Wildcats are undoubtedly one of the top teams in the Escambia and Santa Rosa county area. They haven’t lost to any local teams. Two of their losses came to the hands of Florida teams – Florida High out of Tallahassee and San Jose Prep out of Jacksonville. The rest came from teams from Alabama and Louisana, all in tournament settings.

That’s allowed an experienced Booker T. team that made it to the Region 1-5A semifinals last season to see what talent around the southeast looks like.

“We played good competition out of the state and city, so we got to see better players,” Jasquith said. “We feel no one can beat us in the city of Pensacola.”

Having the experience of strong Christmas break tournaments helps in the short-term against teams like Pine Forest, Louis said. But with the Eagles “no-quit spirit” that made Friday’s contest close, the Wildcats looked a little shaky early.

They were “waiting on” Pine Forest’s “storm” that has brought problems in years past. Booker T. gave up several turnovers that kept the Eagles in the game.

“But we settled down and understood what plays we had to make,” Louis said. “We settled down and got into a decent groove and rhythm.”

‘Washington just wanted it more’

McCants knows that the Wildcats have a size advantage over Pine Forest. But that hadn’t stopped the Eagles before, outrebounding teams of similar stature throughout the season. But the moment that truly showed how the game was going to end came at the beginning of the fourth quarter.

Booker T. had a shot that it missed a few times, but kept having putback opportunities before finally draining a tipped rebound just seconds into the stanza.

“They got five or six offensive boards. They won that battle,” McCants said. “We outrebounded them before – and we’ve outrebounded other teams – but Washington just wanted it more.”

Of Pine Forest’s nine losses of the season, seven of them have come by 10 points or less – five of them have been two-possession contests. Pine Forest’s loss to West Florida on Thursday was a one-point loss.

That’s not to say the Eagles haven’t been victorious in those close matchups. They held on for a one-point win at Pensacola last week.

But McCants said it comes down his older players, especially on a team boasting a lot of underclassmen.

“My older guys, my seniors, they’re not being leaders when it’s time to finish games,” McCants said. “My team is young. At this point of the season, we should be better – but we’re not right now. So we’ve got a lot of work to do.”

Given that Booker T. and Pine Forest are District 1-5A rivals, it’s possible that the teams – ranked first and third in the district, respectively – could see each other for a third time this season in February during the district tournament.

“Hopefully we’ll be better by then. … That’s two wins for them right now. We’re 0-2 right now,” McCants said. “We’ve just got to beat them when we can.”

Ben Grieco is a sports reporter for the Pensacola News Journal. He can be reached on X (@BenGriecoSports) and via email at BGrieco@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: Booker T. Washington boys basketball beats Pine Forest in district game