WATCH: Cocoa High School Girls Basketball Team Set to Play in State Final Four on Thursday
By Chris Bonanno // February 26, 2020
Cocoa vs Jacksonville Bishop Kenny – 12 p.m. Thursday
ABOVE VIDEO: Space Coast Daily’s Chris Bonanno spoke to head coach Aisha Patrick, along with junior Jaliyah Flowers and sophomore Victoria Zidor, about Cocoa’s incredible season.
BREVARD COUNTY • COCOA, FLORIDA – Cocoa’s girls basketball team has advanced to the state Final Four after a pair of thrilling come-from-behind victories in their last two postseason games.
“It’s exciting. I mean I’m excited for the girls,” said Cocoa head coach Aisha Patrick. “I’m excited for the school but I have to give the credit to the girls because they’re the ones that got us here. I just led them along the way.”
The Tigers trailed by 15 points in the second half of their regional semifinal game against St. Petersburg Lakewood but stormed back to win 51-48.
In their regional final contest, Cocoa trailed by seven points entering the fourth quarter of their regional final but was able to outscore Ft. Pierce Lincoln Park by a 24-14 margin en route to a 63-60 victory.
“Our players were very patient. They were mentally dialed in,” Patrick said.
Cocoa will look to keep the momentum going on Thursday when they face Jacksonville Bishop Kenny in the state semifinal in Lakeland at noon.
“They’re very athletic. They’re a good group of girls.” said junior Jaliyah Flowers. “We’ve just been watching film on them and we just have to control the things that we’re able to control.”
Flowers and her teammate, sophomore point guard Victoria Zidor, both appear to be enjoying the team’s run.
“It’s very exciting and very kind of emotional because I never got to experience this so coming here and being able to experience this with a good group of girls, it just feels amazing.” Flowers said.
“It’s very fun. A lot of people support us in and out of school,” said Zidor.
Should the Tigers win, they’ll advance to the state championship game to face the winner of Lake Highland Prep and Ft. Lauderdale Gibbons on Friday at 12:30 p.m. in Lakeland.
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