BROOKSVILLE – Jordan Baxter had come up big for Nature Coast’s boys basketball team in another pivotal postseason contest, but the only numbers that truly mattered to the junior were on the scoreboard. The 6-foot-3 forward scored 10 points and pulled down 12 rebounds, but the Sharks lost to visiting Zephyrhills in a Class 5A, Region II semifinal on Tuesday night, 61-51.
“It wasn’t good enough to get the win,” Baxter said. “I just feel really bad for the seniors. I’m not happy with it at all.”
It was a bittersweet end to his first varsity campaign, in which he emerged as a late-season starter following an injury to teammate Billy Gregoire. “They were a good team. They could really shoot,” Baxter said. “It’s just we couldn’t answer back to those shots. I feel like that’s the reason why. And we had those little fits that we had on the bench and stuff. We didn’t play like we should have played.”
Nature Coast (22-7) found itself playing catchup from the start, falling behind by as many as 15 points in the third quarter and trailing by 10 heading into the fourth. With 4:14 remaining, Baxter was fouled after collecting an offensive rebound of a missed free throw. He stepped to the line and knocked down both shots, cutting the deficit to 49-43.
But Zephyrhills (26-4) pulled away from there, led by Jeremy Oppenheimer with 23 points. Jamison Carnegie had 12 points and Nick Crima added 11 for the Sharks, the senior backcourt combining to knocked down six 3-pointers. Forward Kaine McColley, though, was held to eight points.
“I thought for the most part defensively we executed our game plan,” Nature Coast head coach Dave Pisarcik said. “We limited them. They got a couple offensive rebounds. We let some easy baskets go by. But I think we made Oppenheimer work. I think Jamison, (Robert) McAfee did a good job guarding him. The kid’s averaging 30-something points a game the last five or six games. To be able to hold him 10 or 12 points below his average, I think it’s a success.
“But we had to play better. I think on the offensive end we weren’t making the extra pass. I think we were a little tight. Some of these guys haven’t been in this situation before, but I didn’t think we made enough plays on the offensive end. We had looks, but some of them just didn’t go down tonight. It was one of those days and that’s how basketball goes.”
So ended a season that featured Nature Coast’s seventh straight regional appearance, sixth district title and 11th regional victory. “Nobody expected us to be in this game,” Pisarcik said. “I thought we were going to be district champs, I thought we’d be undefeated in the county and I thought we’d have a chance to win the Sweet 16 game, and we did.
“Obviously the outcome didn’t go the way we wanted it to or the way we planned. But to be in this situation with this team; obviously we’re hurt right now. But when time takes over and heals, we’ll look back and we had a great season.”
It was a season of growth for Baxter, who shined in the district championship game, a 53-46 win over Crystal River on Feb. 5, with 11 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks. “I think this is what I need to be successful senior year,” Baxter said. “I’m just a role player. A big man doing all I can, rebound the ball, score.
“I want all of it (next season). … It’s going to have to be me, Kaine and (Anthony) Valante have to work our butts off over the summer, and we got step up. To replace those seniors, we got to step up. Find a couple role players. We got to step up.”
With Baxter among those returning, the Sharks figure to have a chance to maintain their typical level of success.
“I think Baxter, we always knew what he could do,” Pisarcik said. “We always talk to him about energy and intensity, and giving that effort. His athleticism will take over. He’s just playing on raw athleticism right now. He’s young. He might be a junior but he’s young to the game of basketball. This is probably a year and a half of really playing basketball.
“The future’s bright for him. If he continues to work hard and gives effort and plays as hard as he does, he’s going to have a huge impact on our season next year.”
Follow Chris Bernhardt Jr. on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr.