FORT LAUDERDALE — Clarence Westbrook Jr. turned in an MVP performance as defending Class 6A state champion St. Thomas Aquinas jumped out to a 20-point halftime lead and held off a late charge to defeat Miramar 68-60 for its second straight BCAA Big 8 boys championship at Fort Lauderdale High School on Saturday night.
Westbrook finished with a game-high 22 points to lead four Raiders (21-4) in double figures. He was named the Butch Ingram MVP for his effort.
“We have been here before, and we are built for this moment,” said Westbrook, a junior combo guard, whose school was playing in its fourth Big 8 championship game and won a second straight for the first time in school history. It also won its second state championship last year, also winning in 2001.
“We held each other accountable, and that’s why we got the job done,” he continued. “We’ve got to play with confidence. Mistakes are going to happen. Nothing will be perfect. We have a lot of returning players and players who have stepped up from last year.”
Miramar’s Walter Williams opened the game with a dunk to give the Patriots (17-8) their only lead of the game at 2-0. From there, St. Thomas Aquinas hit its next five shots, including two 3-pointers by DJ Sandi, who finished the game with 15 points. The Raiders seized a 12-2 lead at that point.
“We’ve overcome adversity this season, but this just sets you up for the busy part of the postseason,” Sandi said. “I said before the tournament how this will get us ready, and I am willing to do whatever it takes for my team to win, whether it is to score, pass, rebound, or steal the ball.”
St. Thomas Aquinas boys, ranked. No. 34 in the country and No. 5 in the state, has won five straight games, and eight of their last nine, since a 73-70 loss to Pembroke Pines Charter in the regular season.
KJ Sandi scored nine points and surpassed 1,000 career points.
Zane Elliott also scored nine points to help St. Thomas Aquinas, who led 35-15 at half and held off Miramar, who closed to within 10 points twice in the fourth quarter.
The Raiders topped Coral Glades 78-68 in the semifinals after opening the Big 8 tournament with a 70-53 victory over Boyd Anderson.
St. Thomas Aquinas coach Julius Sandi said the team is coming together, especially with the way they have started the past three games. Sandi believes this momentum will be crucial as they continue through the season.
“There is still room for improvement,” Sandi said. “I am hoping to be peaking in the state championship game.”
The Raiders’ defense prevented the Patriots from getting much going, except for the hot hand of Jayson Negron, who scored 23, including five 3-pointers.
“Defense is something we stand by,” coach Sandi continued. “Our guys have bought into that. If you don’t play defense, you don’t play. You defend your blood, and that’s our motto.”
Miramar (17-8) topped Pembroke Pines Charter 56-50 in the semifinal and opened the tournament with a 62-61 win over Cardinal Gibbons. The Patriots had won seven straight since a 63-52 loss to John Curtis Christian (Louisiana).
Miramar coach Tremaine Stevens said his team needed to make the most of its opportunity and came up short.
“We were down by 20 at one point, and we cut it down, but we just couldn’t get over the hump,” Stevens said. “All in all, the boys fought. I think we have an excellent nucleus, both inside and out. We can shoot, and we can run, and if we need to slow the game down, we can do that too. We have a lot of experience, and I think we are where we need to be. We just needed a little more fight tonight.”
