Speedy St. Thomas Aquinas wins Kingdom of the Sun, Florida's oldest high school basketball tournament

Quick and to the point, St. Thomas Aquinas turned on the speed to capture a trophy which slipped away from the Raiders a year ago

St. Thomas Aquinas basketball coach Julius Sandi cuts down the nets after the Raiders won the 51st annual Kingdom of the Sun tournament at Ocala Vanguard on Monday. / Bill Kemp

OCALA, FLORIDA – Quick and to the point, Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas turned on the speed to capture a trophy which slipped away from the Raiders a year ago.

St. Thomas – ranked 13th in the High School On SI Florida High School Boys Basketball Rankings – utilized quickness, defense and penetrating drives to topple St. Petersburg Gibbs, 80-64, and capture the 51st annual Kingdom of the Sun boys basketball tournament at Vanguard High School. The 28-team tournament is the oldest tournament in the state.

St. Thomas guard DJ Sandi (2) drives to the basket during the title game of the 51st annual Kingdom of the Sun Tournament. / bill kemp

“We just hang our hat on defense for the most part,” St. Thomas head coach Julius Sandi said. “We defend and we play with a pace and we play fast. This trophy means a lot, our kids knew coming in what it was all about,”

“This prepares us a lot (for a state tournament run). The competition we faced, especially a very good Gibbs team, a defending state champion in their classification, really helps. We wanted to play against the best and we were able to compete with some of the best around.”

A year ago, St. Thomas finished as tournament runner-up after overcoming a 22-point deficit against defending tournament champion Winter Haven to force overtime. But Winter Haven eventually pulled out a 78-75 win.

St. Thomas Aquinas players celebrate after winning the 51st annual Kingdom of the Sun Tournament at Ocala Vanguard on Monday. / Bill Kemp

“We really didn’t focus on last year’s defeat. We came here with a different mindset, a little more hungry and we knew we could do it. So last year did not really play a factor into how we committed this time around,” Sandi said. 

The St. Thomas’ hustle contributed to six players reaching double figures in scoring while competing against a much-taller lineup that included 7-foot DePaul commit Isaiah Medina. The Raiders improved to 12-1 while Gibbs slipped to 7-4.

“Whether you have 7-footers or not, they have to keep up with our pace,” Sandi said. “So we just kind of played out style the way we normally play.”

Zane Elliot and Clarence Westerbook led St. Thomas with 15 points each while Drake Sandi poured in 13, Nate Accius 12, Dwayne Wimbley Jr. 11 and Kellson Sandi 10.

DePaul commit Isaiah Medina brings the ball upcourt against St. Thomas Aquinas in the Kingdom of the Sun championship game at Ocala Vanguard on Monday / Bill Kemp

“We play hard and we never really get scared of the people that are across from us,” said Wimbley, who played in the regional finals for Westminster this past season, and was awarded the tournament MVP.

 “We know we put in just as much work as they do, if not more. We are in the weightroom and we are strong, too. I feel like we can compete with any height. We got heart. Every day we are just working to get to Lakeland (for the FHSAA state tournament).

Gibbs -- ranked 9th in our rankings -- was led by sophomore Oneal Delancy with 20 points, Medina with 11, who shot 100 percent from the field, and Jacob Daniels with 10.

Evans guard Antonio Pollard dibbles against the Williston defense at the Kingdom of the Sun. / Bill Kemp

Orlando Evans beat Williston 67-53 in the third place final. David Rushing led Evans with 17 points while Arosco Dubois added 16.

 “We hate to be third or even second,” Rushing said. But in this game we had to get out early and come with a lot of energy. That is what led us to victory.”