- March 28, 2024
Loading
The Winter Park Wildcats never got their chance to face off against crosstown rival Edgewater in the Rotary Tip-Off Classic. The game never happened, after the Wildcats fell 73-53 to The Master’s Academy in their opening game Thursday and Edgewater headed the other direction on the bracket.
That loss put the Wildcats on a consolation-round course that would see them edge Lake Highland Prep, which had lost to Edgewater in the first round, 54-48.
That win punched the Wildcats’ ticket to play against Oak Ridge (2-1), when they could play for a final win in the consolation bracket. They fell 68-52 to the Pioneers, dropping them to 2-3 on the season.
On the other side of the bracket, the Edgewater Eagles swept up. They beat Lake Highland in the first round 70-62, sending them on a track to face The Master’s Academy, who they edged 63-59.
In the championship round, they faced a First Academy team that was undefeated so far this season. The Eagles won by one buzzer-beating shot by Jamehl Williams, in a 50-49 defensive battle that went down to the final second.
The shot vaulted Edgewater to 5-0 on the season and gave them their first Tip-Off title since their five consecutive victories ending in 2004.
The Wildcats travel to Colonial (2-3) for a 7:30 p.m. Friday night tipoff. They come back home Tuesday, starting at 7:30 p.m. against Timber Creek (0-3).
The Eagles travel to Evans (4-0) at 7:30 p.m. Friday night. They’ll return home to face Jones (3-2) at 7:30 p.m. Monday.