Mainland boys beat New Smyrna Beach to repeat as Five Star Conference champs
PORT ORANGE — The Mainland Buccaneers checked the first box. Three more to go.
Those would be district, regional and state titles.
But the first item on the Bucs’ list — the short-term goal, coach Joe Giddens said — was the Five Star Conference Championship. They achieved that with a 61-42 victory over No. 3 New Smyrna Beach Friday at Atlantic High School. Top-seeded Mainland (16-5) also claimed the prize representing Volusia-Flagler bragging rights last year.
Still, “It’s not the trophy I want to hold,” senior DeAndre Newland said.
After Mainland’s first five baskets were 3-pointers in the tournament semifinals against Atlantic Wednesday, it waited until the final moments of the first quarter, when senior Narayan Thomas splashed home a contested 3 as the buzzer sounded, to hit one Friday.
“(The paint) was more of a focus,” said Newland, a 7-footer who scored 10 points. “Our last game, we ended up shooting 12, 3s in the first quarter. We were going to go inside to start off this game.”
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The Barracudas (16-5) posed a contrasting style. \A total of 3 of their first 5 makes came from distance. They finished with eight 3-pointers overall, as their shooting kept them in the game until the fourth quarter.
The Bucs closed the first quarter with a 19-14 lead.
In the second, Mainland extended its advantage to 27-19, but a 3-pointer by New Smyrna Beach senior Michael Goldner and a basket by senior Lukas Parschauer trimmed it to 27-24.
Newland responded with a bucket, and after a basket by Thomas, Newland slammed down a two-handed dunk with one second left to polish off a 6-0 run in the final 2:30 of the half.
Barracudas senior Peter Phan tallied the first points out of halftime, but with the next three scores — a Newland dunk and two layups by sophomore Nathan Kirk — the Bucs bumped their lead to double digits, 39-26.
Mainland possessed a 41-31 advantage in the final minute of the third when it capped another period emphatically. Kirk converted a layup with 50 seconds left. Then, with time winding down, he launched a 3-pointer from NBA range and it zipped through the net at the whistle.
Kirk maintained his shooting pose — right hand up — for a few moments afterward. Bucs 46, New Smyrna Beach 31. It was the third straight period they punctuated with a buzzer-beater.
The Barracudas rattled off three baskets to open the fourth quarter. Parschauer and senior Josh Reik each nailed 3s, and Parschauer followed with a bucket. Those reduced their deficit to 46-39 with six minutes left.
From there, Kirk dazzled for the next two minutes.
He made a layup and drew a foul, adding a free throw on the first possession after Parschauer’s basket. A minute later, he sped past a defender for a layup. He repeated that act on the ensuing trip down the floor. Mainland’s defense didn’t allow a point during the run, boosting its lead to 53-39.
Kirk dropped a game-high 26 points. Between the 4:21 mark of the third quarter and midway point of the fourth, he accounted for seven of the Bucs’ eight field goals, notching 16 points and slashing New Smyrna Beach’s comeback hopes in the process.
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“I thought our guys came out and played well,” Giddens said. “Great atmosphere for basketball. We knew they were going to hit shots, but we continued to fight.”
Along with Kirk’s 26 and Newland’s 10, senior Elijah Clark contributed 10 points for Mainland, who turns around with a 3:30 p.m. Saturday matchup at Winter Haven.
Parschauer (16 points) and Reik (13) fronted the Barracudas’ attack. They return to their home court against DME Academy Gold at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: High school basketball: Mainland Bucs defend Five Star boys crown
