Miami Country Day girls win 9th basketball state championship

Spartans win back-to-back titles, knocking off Cardinal Mooney for the 2nd straight year

LAKELAND, FLORIDA – Miami Country Day climbed one more rung on Florida high school basketball’s ladder of greatness.

Miami Country Day senior and Baylor signee Kayla Nelms holds up her Class 3A state championship medal at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Friday / Bill Kemp

Miami Country Day girls won the Class 3A girls basketball state championship Friday at the RP Funding Center, knocking off Sarasota Cardinal Mooney 75-51. It was the second straight year Country Day defeated Cardinal Mooney for the state title and the third time in the past four seasons.

Miami Country Day players celebrate the team’s Class 3A state championship at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Friday.  / Bill Kemp

“This group is a special group. I never tell them that, but it is because we never had any highly-acclaimed kids,” Country Day head coach Ochiel Swaby said. ”I really appreciate our seniors. They grinded and worked their butts off.”

Moreover, it was the ninth state title for Country Day – the third most in state history behind Jacksonville Ribault (12) and Fort Lauderdale Dillard (10).

“I try not to think about it in that sense,” Swaby said. “We know we have nine. But each year we try to maximize the talent in the room. Next year, a state championship would probably be a great ceiling for us because we are going to be young, but we have nine months to get it together.

Miami Country Day players gather around their trophy after winning the Class 3A state championship at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Friday / Bill Kemp

“I try not to think about it in an historical context. I respect it, but I can’t put the pressure on the kids to go get that. If we are fortunate enough to get that, great.”

Swaby said the secret recipe for Country Day’s success through the years has been commitment.

“We ask these kids to be in the gym 365 days a year, at least doing something basketball related. All these kids play travel ball. We work out with them all year round. We just don’t send them to somebody else.”

Country Day senior Kayla Nelms, a Baylor signee, led all scorers with 24 points and nine rebounds – seven on the offensive glass.

Miami Country Day freshman guard Jalynn Belton drives through the lane during the Class 3A state championship at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Friday.  / Bill Kemp

Additionally, Kori Edge added 17 points while Sofia Mendez and Kaliyah Morales both scored 11 to round out the Country Day attack.

Country Day (22-8) was sizzling from the opening tipoff, jumping out on an 11-2 run which translated into a 24-11 first quarter lead. By the half, the Spartans had built a 39-24 lead.

Though Cardinal Mooney went on a 16-11 run across the third quarter, Country Day was torrid from the free-throw line, canning 22 of 25 shots to hold off any thoughts of a Cardinal Mooney comeback.

Miami Country Day head coach Ochiel Swaby is hugged by Kayla Nelms after the team won back-to-back Class 3A state championships at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Friday.  / Bill Kemp

“It’s funny, I wasn’t sure this team was going to be as good of a free-throw shooting team as we have become,” Swaby said.

Cardinal Mooney was led by Kali Barrett with 12 points while Sam Kotasek, Sy’Monique Simon and Madi Mignery each scored 11. 

Miami Country Day guard Kaliyah Morales has her shot blocked by Cardinal Mooney’s Sam Kotasek during the Class 3A state championship at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Friday / Bill Kemp