07-03-2025
Doral Academy unable to overcome Orlando powerhouse in girls' basketball state semifinal
Doral Academy had high hopes its second consecutive trip to the girls' basketball state final four would produce a better result than a year ago.
But the Firebirds ran into a familiar Orlando-based roadblock for Miami-Dade County teams in recent years - the Dr. Phillips Panthers.
Doral Academy became the latest Dade squad to have their season ended in Lakeland by the three-time reigning state champions, falling 72-54 in a Class 7A state semifinal at the RP Funding Center on Friday morning.
The defeat marked the fourth consecutive season that Dade's representative in the state's highest class was eliminated by an Orlando area team.
The Firebirds (21-8) lost in the same round to Orlando Colonial last season. Dr. Phillips eliminated Miami High in 2022 and 2023.
'They're a three-time state champion for a reason,' Doral coach Allison Bustamante said. 'They proved that today with the performance they put on. They've got bodies they rotate in and out the whole game and their full-court pressure got to us a little bit. We started great and shots stopped falling for us. It was quite the opposite for them and shots kept falling from deep.'
Doral found some rhythm during the first quarter and led 15-10 with 1:20 remaining in the period.
That's when the Panthers (21-9), who advanced to play Winter Haven in the 7A final on Saturday at 7 p.m., took control of the game with a 28-10 surge the rest of the half.
Sophomore Victoria Valle and junior Stephanie Vega each had 17 points to lead the Firebirds. But Doral struggled with Dr. Phillips' pressure defense, its size and its depth.
The Firebirds only went 7-deep in their rotation while Dr. Phillips' rotated in multiple bench players and its reserves outscored Doral's backups 30-0.
The Panthers' starting lineup included four players 5-foot-9 or taller while Doral did not have a starter taller than 5-8.
'Their height played a factor affecting our shots,' Valle said. 'They had a good game and we should have played better.'
Doral shot 21 for 55 from the field and went 6 for 19 from 3-point range. The Firebirds were also outrebounded 44-24 and 16-8 on the offensive glass.
'We were just focusing down low and thought they wouldn't hit shots,' Vega said. 'We should have stepped up more.'
Three times in the third quarter, Doral cut the deficit to seven and appeared ready to cut the game close as it did in last season's semifinal against Colonial when the Firebirds narrowed a 20-point deficit to one point in the closing seconds.
But Dr. Phillips answered with a 16-4 surge led by Ciara Hayes, who finished with a game-high 24 points.
'My kids busted their rear ends the entire year to put themselves in position to compete for a state championship,' Bustamante said. 'We were positive and understood we can ignite at any time in the game. We weren't able to fully ignite and play our game. A lot was due to the opponent we came across.'
One of the silver linings for Doral is that its roster has only two seniors, which gives the Firebirds a strong chance of making a third consecutive run to state.
'We're still a young group and we're gonna learn from it,' Bustamante said. 'We're losing two fantastic seniors and the leadership they provide. But the remaining core is coming back and we fully intend on coming back and getting it right next year.'
