Girls basketball state finals
All games at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Admission is $10 in advance, $13 on the day of the event. Parking is $10.
Class 6A
Bloomingdale (25-5) vs. Wekiva (24-2), 8 tonight
How they got here: Bloomingdale d. Lennard 43-33, d. Braden River 60-37, d. Land O’ Lakes 45-37; Wekiva d. Lake Howell 46-18, d. Winter Haven 60-43, d. St. Cloud 52-32.
Stat leaders
| Category | Bloomingdale | Wekiva |
| Points per game | Joline Raposo, 10.6 | Jada Eads, 17.2 |
| Rebounds per game | Melody Womack, 6.4 | K’nari Holliday, 8.1 |
| Assists per game | Joline Raposo, 2.9 | Jada Eads, 2.8 |
| Steals per game | Joline Raposo, 4.2 | Jada Eads, 2.5 |
| Blocks per game | Kyrstin Wolff, 0.9 | Rylan Moffitt, 0.8 |
Outlook
This has been a season of superlatives for Bloomingdale. After enduring a 3-20 season in his coaching debut during the 2011-12 season, Joel Bower has made steady progress with the Bulls, culminating with the program’s first district title since 1995, and the first-ever state semifinal appearance. Confidence came early, especially after beating defending 7A state champion Plant the second game of the season. Since Jan. 4, Bloomingdale is 14-2, the two losses coming by a combined four points. The success is due in large part to a balanced lineup with five players that are averaging at least five points, led by Joline Raposo (10.6 points per game), the Federal Division Western Conference player of the year. To get acclimated to the vastness of Lakeland’s RP Funding Center, the Bulls practiced Wednesday at USF. Wekiva is ranked second in the class and seventh overall in the state by MaxPreps.
