Dr. Phillips boys hoops tops Winter Haven 76-58 at Metro vs. Florida | Observer Preps

APOPKA Dominant efforts in the first and fourth quarters would enough for the Dr. Phillips boys basketball to defeat Winter Haven 76-58 Jan. 13 as part of the Metro vs. Florida Challenge at Apopka High.

The Panthers (11-5) jumped out to an early 20-13 advantage through one quarter, after which the two squads entered a more conventional back-and-forth affair. The fourth quarter, though, saw Dr. Phillips outscore the Blue Devils (9-7) 19-10, putting the finishing touches on a double-digit victory.

"I think in the second half we absolutely (competed) for 16 straight minutes," Panthers coach Dan Batchelor said. "We talked about squeezing the paint and making them (Winter Haven) jump shooters and the players did a really good job of executing that."

Senior guard Daniel Love led the way for Dr. Phillips with 30 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and three steals while his brother, Dante Love, chipped in 14 points and five assists.

Esdras Jean also turned in a double-double for the Panthers, with 15 points and 13 rebounds on the game.

"Esdras is a big advantage for us because he can guard all five spots," Batchelor said. "He had a really good game — I thought he had a really good first half for us."

Winter Haven was led by Bryson Birdsong's 19 points and six rebounds.