MINNEOLA They came to see the world's tallest high-school basketball player, 7-foot-6 Tacko Fall of Tavares Liberty Christian Prep. <\/p>\n
But in the end, it was the shortest player on Lake Minneola's basketball team who had the biggest night. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
\"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. <\/p>\n
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). <\/p>\n
The Hawks' only loss this season was to national No. 1 Montverde Academy. <\/p>\n
\"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.\" <\/p>\n
Fall, who has signed with UCF, scored 27 points with grabbed 13 rebounds. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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. <\/p>\n
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L. Minneola tops Liberty Christian, Tacko Fall<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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. Continue reading