Stunner for Stallions: Windermere Prep basketball ousts No. 1 Providence in semifinal
Riding a freshman pair and a rising junior star, Windermere Prep ended the season of No. 1 Providence, stunning the Stallions 55-43 in Wednesday's Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A boys basketball semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Junior forward Chandler Watts led the offense with 15 points for the Lakers (24-7) as Windermere Prep coach Brian Hoff, previously a Providence assistant under the Stallions' Jim Martin, got the upper hand against his former head coach.
The Stallions (28-3), ranked first statewide for most of the season after a succession of game-breaking runs, couldn't find the second-half magic this time. Providence went on an 8-0 surge for a brief second-quarter lead, but Windermere Prep responded for a 28-25 lead going into the break.
Freshmen also stood out for the Orlando-area school, which won the 2016 state championship under current Ponte Vedra coach Ben Wilson.
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Brandon Bass Jr. nailed a 3-pointer midway through the third quarter for a four-point lead and center Sinan Huan starred with seven points in the final quarter. The 7-footer hit a three to open the period and a key basket to stretch the Laker lead to five, after Providence's Jaylen Robinson had slashed the deficit to 43-40.
University of North Florida signee Mason Lee, in his final Providence game, spent much of the second half saddled with four fouls.
Providence, the state champion in 2010, 2013 and 2015, will lose Lee to graduation but is scheduled to return most of its regulars for 2023-24.
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: FHSAA high school boys basketball 2023: Windermere Prep upsets Providence
