Boys high school basketball state semifinals: Sagemont pulls away from Impact Christian

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Impact Christian went toe to toe with powerhouse Sagemont all the way to the finish in the Class 1A boys basketball state semifinals on Tuesday.

But it was the Lions of Sagemont who pulled away in the closing minutes for a 66-53 win at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland to eliminate Impact for the second straight season. Impact led after the opening quarter and found itself down by one early in the fourth quarter. But Sagemont (21-8) heated up down the stretch and Impact struggled as the Lions widened the final margin to a comfortable win that was anything but close.

Impact has been a consistent visitor to Lakeland, including three state runner-up finishes. Head coach Benjamin Jones has been there for it all, with five trips to the state found in eight seasons of eligibility.

Sagemont took advantage of 19 Impact turnovers and turned those into 24 points. Ronald Clark and Sterling Moody had 12 points apiece for Impact. Jeremiah Jones followed with 11.