Boys basketball: Windermere Prep pulls away from TFA in district semis | Observer Preps

WINTER PARK — The semifinal game of the Class 5A, District 6 Tournament between Windermere Prep and The First Academy was a back-and-forth affair through most of the first three quarters — and then Rahsaan Lewis shifted to another gear.

Lewis, who had 12 points at halftime, poured on 21 more points in the third and fourth quarters — good for 33 total points on the night — to help the Lakers pull away from the Royals for a 77-67 win at Trinity Prep.

"He really is playing at a different speed," Windermere Prep head coach Ben Wilson said. "This kid has no brakes — he's 100 miles an hour. When he's on, he's pretty scary and he's hard to stop. They were running double- and triple-teams at him."

The Lakers (13-13) trailed The First Academy by one point after the first quarter and at halftime, but started to create some separation in the third quarter, leading by seven points at the quarter's end.

While Lewis' impressive play was the main catalyst to the second-half success, Windermere Prep saw strong supporting performances from role players — even while the team was Shaquan Jules and Blake Stillwell, both of whom were not available.

"I think they've just hung together," Wilson said. "It's win-or-go home in the semifinal round and the guys just said 'We don't want it to end.' Even when we're short-handed, we were still confident we had enough to get the job done."

The First Academy (14-12) was led by Elwood Tomlinson, who scored a team-high 24 points in defeat.

Windermere Prep will now prepare for the district championship, will will pit the Lakers against Lake Highland Prep at 7 p.m. Friday, again at Trinity Prep.

When the two teams met previously in the regular season Jan. 12, Windermere Prep prevailed 75-66.