L. Minneola tops Liberty Christian, Tacko Fall

MINNEOLA They came to see the world's tallest high-school basketball player, 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall of Tavares Liberty Christian Prep.

But in the end, it was the shortest player on Lake Minneola's basketball team who had the biggest night.

Marcus Dodson, a 5-foot-11 junior guard, banged in 3-point shots from the corners and then hit four consecutive free throws in the final 30 seconds to help the Hawks hang on to a 71-66 victory Thursday night.

"When I went to the free-throw line, I was thinking, 'If I hit these, we can put it away,'" said Dodson, who hit six 3-pointers and finished with 26 points.

Lake Minneola (11-1), the No. 1 team in the state in Class 6A, was a state runner-up last season and showed its talent and depth by winning the Winter Park Rotary Tip-Off Classic this month. During that tournament, Lake Minneola defeated reigning state champions Orlando Christian Prep (2A) and Winter Park (8A).

The Hawks' only loss this season was to national No. 1 Montverde Academy.

"We have been tested a lot," Lake Minneola coach Freddie Cole said. "We are not the kind of team that panics, even when they got up late in the game. We are all about staying poised."

Fall, who has signed with UCF, scored 27 points with grabbed 13 rebounds.

He tied the score with 1 minute, 54 seconds remaining in the third quarter when he scored on a dunk off a pass from Freddy Zotchi. He gave the Lions (8-5) a 66-65 lead with another dunk with 3:04 left in the fourth quarter.

That advantage was short-lived when Avery Brown, who had 19 points, scored on a driving floater over Fall's outstretched arms to give Lake Minneola a 67-66 lead with 2:37 remaining.

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L. Minneola tops Liberty Christian, Tacko Fall

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