With Jacob Daniels pushing the ball upcourt, Oneal Delancey and Mathis Roberts flourishing on the outside, and Isaiah Medina and Bobby Crawford beating opposing big men down the floor for buckets, Gibbs has the capabilities of turning nearly every possession into a track meet.

In fact, the Gladiators’ up-tempo game, which includes a dose of defensive pressure, has been running so well that defenders might as well be folding chairs for all the opposition they presented.

Gibbs’ frenzied pace is a big reason the team won five straight games – all by 21 or more points.

Opponents often find the Gladiators’ go-go tempo difficult to handle. That was not the case in Thursday’s Class 4A semifinal.

North Broward Prep had all the necessary intangibles to keep up: height, patience, shooting accuracy. For nearly three quarters, the Eagles had everything going for them, building a 12-point lead. 

But Gibbs had one key factor that proved to be the difference: experience.

Most of the players on the Gladiators’ roster starters have not only played at the varsity level since they were freshmen, but also were making their third straight state semifinal appearance. North Broward Prep, meanwhile, was making its first appearance in school history. 

There was no getting flustered, no panic at facing a second half deficit. The veterans knew what to do. They turned up the intensity. They stayed composed. They displayed the stamina to withstand a marathon contest. They made all the right moves.

And they won 58-55 in triple overtime to move on to the final. 

It is the first time Gibbs has made it to the championship game since 1969 when the program won its second state title. 

The Gladiators (26-5) will face the Andrew Jackson-Villages in the 4A final on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Gibbs coach Larry Murphy knew he had the necessary elements for success. A mature team motivated to not only return to the semifinals but to end years of frustrating results on basketball’s biggest stage by winning it all.

For the past two seasons, the Gladiators were close to clearing that state semifinal hurdle with closely contested losses to Andrew Jackson in 2022 and Mater Lakes Academy last season. Gibbs had the lead at the half against Andrew Jackson and was ahead going into the fourth quarter against Mater Lakes before falling short.

Still, Murphy needed a barometer to gauge the progress of his motivated team. So he put together a brutal schedule that yielded few easy nights. The Gladiators thrived in most difficult situations and learned from others, including a triple overtime loss to Seminole in the Pinellas County Athletic Conference championship game. 

That prepared Gibbs for this stage.

Late in the third quarter, the Gladiators staged their comeback. Delancey, Daniels, Crawford and Fernando Maynor Jr. all hit clutch shots down the stretch to eventually tie the game at the end of regulation. 

Then came overtime. Then another overtime. And another.

In the final minute of the third overtime, Daniels hit a free throw for what turned out to be the game-winner. After a turnover, Medina sealed it by hitting both of his free throws for three-point lead – and a memorable, historic win.