Girls Basketball State Semifinals
All games at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. Admission is $15 on the day of the event. Parking is $10.
Class 6A
Ponte Vedra (22-8) vs. Bloomingdale (29-0), 5 p.m., today
How they got here: Ponte Vedra d. Springstead 46-43 (OT), d. Tallahassee Lincoln 51-42, d. Niceville 58-47. Bloomingdale d. Countryside 55-18, d. Armwood 59-40, d. Punta Gorda Charlotte 49-47.
Stat Leaders
| Category | Ponte Vedra | Bloomingdale |
| Points per game | Morgan Gavazzi, 15.2 | Noelle Mengel, 20.8 |
| Rebounds per game | Maya Richards, 7.0 | Izellah Kendrick, 7.6 |
| Assists per game | Maya Richards, 2.9 | Tabitha Vega, 2.7 |
| Steals per game | Maya Richards, 2.7 | Noelle Mengel, 2.8 |
| Blocks per game | Maya Richards, 0.3 | Izellah Kendrick, 1.4 |
Outlook
In 2011-12, Joel Bower won three games in his first season as coach of the Bulls. That was the start of a slow, steady rebuilding process. Bloomingdale did not have a winning record until Bower’s sixth season with the program. But the perseverance has paid off. In the past three seasons, Bower and the Buls have a compiled a combined 80-9 record and are making their second state semifinal appearance. Better still, Bloomingdale is the only undefeated team left in the state at 29-0. Four players — Izellah Kendrick, Noelle Mengel, Tabitha Vega and Faith Wilson — were on the last Bulls team to make it to the state semifinals in 2021-22. Mengel has already set school records for points in a game (36) and a season (604). The experience of playing in the state semifinals before could be an advantage for Bulls. Ponte Vedra is making its first state semifinal appearance since the 2017-18 season. There are nine seniors on the team, all of whom have played together since elementary school.
