- February 5, 2025
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Buccaneer Anovia Sheals (4) gets the jump ball for Mainland over River Ridge's Imani Lee at the start of the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal against River Ridge. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Anovia Sheals (4) goes for another shot in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Sheals led her team in the 62-31 win against River Ridge with 21 points. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Jade Parks (2) grabs the rebound in Knight traffic in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Jade Parks (2) and Olivia Olson (5) go up for the rebound in the FHSAA Classs 5A semifinal against River Ridge at the RP Funding Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Zaree Nichols (24), Samantha Lecas (30) and Tia Dobson (right) get ready to grab the rebound in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Anovia Sheals (center) grabs a loose ball from Mya Greene (22) and Zaree Nichols (24) with support from teammate Tia Dobson (10) in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Anovia Sheals (center) grabs a loose ball from Mya Greene (22) and Zaree Nichols (24) with support from teammate Tia Dobson (10) in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Tia Dobson (10) passes across the key in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Olivia Olson takes it to the net in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal versus River Ridge at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Olson score nine points and had 8 steals. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Olivia Olson drives down court in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal versus River Ridge at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Olson scored nine points and had 8 steals. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Tia Dobson focuses on making the free throw during the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal against River Ridge at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
River Ridge's Zaree Nichols (left) attempts to stop Samantha Lecas' (30) drive toward the basket in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mainland's Jade Parks (2) tries to steal the ball from River Ridge's Zaree Nichols (right) in the FHSAA Classs 5A semifinal against River Ridge at the RP Funding Center. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Tia Dobson (10) races Mya Greene for the ball during the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Tia Dobson (10) goes up for a layup as Adriana Vien blocks during the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Samantha Lecas (left) shoots a three-pointer in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Jade Parks (2) fights for the rebound in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
Buccaneer Alexandria Key (left) and Knight Lexi Wade fight for the ball in the FHSAA Class 5A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Mainland girls basketball team is one game away from winning a second consecutive state championship.
The Buccaneers are heading to the Class 5A state championship game for the second year in a row after defeating River Ridge 62-31 in the FHSAA Class 5A semifinals on Wednesday, March 6, at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
Mainland will meet Plantation American Heritage in the final at 5:30 p.m. Friday, March 8, at the RP Funding Center. It will be a repeat of last year's state championship matchup, which the Bucs won by one point.
Mainland forward Anovia Sheals and guard Samantha Lecas scored 21 and 15 points respectively against River Ridge. Jada Parks pulled down 19 rebounds and scored eight points, while Tia Dobson and Olivia Olson scored nine points apiece and combined for 13 steals. The Bucs out-rebounded the Royal Knights 55-26 and forced 26 turnovers.
The Bucs started out slowly, leading 14-8 after the first quarter, but they outscored the Knights 20-7 in the second quarter to take a 34-15 lead.
“I think as a team, we played an average game,” Mainland head coach Brandon Stewart said. “But I think we’re fine. As much as you try to prepare (for Lakeland), sometimes things happen and you’re not necessarily prepared for it but how do you withstand that, how do you respond to that? For us to still win by 31 points, to me, is commendable for our girls and I think that we are definitely going to be ready for Friday. Most times, when our girls don’t have a game that they feel is really good, they come back to the next game with a certain type of vengeance.”
Dobson said their 14-point run in the second quarter was evidence that the team got the initial jitters out.
For us to still win by 31 points, to me, is commendable for our girls and I think that we are definitely going to be ready for Friday. Most times, when our girls don’t have a game that they feel is really good, they come back to the next game with a certain type of vengeance.”
— BRANDON STEWART, Mainland girls basketball coach
“It’s a different feel, playing on (the RP Funding Center) court, in general, so I feel like that first couple minutes we were just getting into our groove,” she said. “That run kind of snapped that into ‘here, this is basketball,’ and that’s what we play … basketball.”
Stewart said it was Olson’s first time at the venue and she came out “hot and moving at a fast pace” due to the newness of the experience.
“I think, no matter what, you want to feel some type of nervousness or you want to be anxious,” he said. “I tell the girls it’s good to feel some kind of way rather than not feeling a way at all. Them having a feeling about it lets us know they care about it.”
Sheals scored 11 consecutive points in the third quarter. She said it was not unfamiliar territory for her. She was a member of the Bucs' championship team last season.
“I felt like I needed to get out of my own head and play how I normally play,” she said. “We have been here before, so I felt like I should be a leader for my team and snap out of my own emotions.”
American Heritage’s 63-24 win against Port Charlotte in their semifinal put the Bucs in familiar territory. Last year, the state championship game went down to the wire in Mainland's 62-61 win.
Dobson said the Bucs' chemistry is better this year. She attributes the team’s ability to make quick in-game adjustments to being high IQ players and to their coach.
“During the games, I just want to watch them work,” Stewart said. “For the most part, we prepare a lot and I trust them a lot with whatever decision they may make. … That’s just the trust factor that we have. I don’t think all coaches have that with their players. There have been times me and Tia (Dobson) call out the same play at the same time. That’s a really special place to be in.”
