Grandview Prep finished the season perfect Wednesday night, dominating Bradenton Christian 87-63 in Florida’s Class 2A championship game at the Lakeland Center and polishing its record to a 34-0 shine.
Shawn Occeus, the game’s high scorer with 28 points, joined teammates Juwan Frazier and Matthew Schner in raining 3-pointers against Bradenton Christian (29-4), which had reached the state final for the first time since 1997. Frazier, also a senior guard, went 5-for-8 from the arc, while Schner netted four treys and Occeus two.
Occeus also had seven rebounds, four assists and four steals for the Pride in the FHSAA final. Frazier finished with 26 points, six steals and three assists. Matt Schner chipped in 16 points (with one 3-pointer), seven boards and four assists.
Grandview Prep, which had 16 steals and scored 20 points off turnovers, worked its smother press to perfection and led almost from tip-off to buzzer. Bradenton turned the ball over 19 times.
“We played the ultimate team game,” Grandview coach Joe Dawson told the Palm Beach Post. “Never once did any of these kids after a game see how many points they had, or worry about that. It was all about the team first. We had great chemistry, and that comes from great kids.”
Bradenton Christian coach Scott Townsend after the game told reporters his team was caught off-guard by Grandview’s lights-out shooting.
The Pride sank just over 54 percent of their 3-point attempts and shot 52 percent from the field.
“When they’re shooting like that, there isn’t much you can do,” Townsend said. “And they weren’t wide-open shots.”
For Grandview, the victory brings the second state title in three years. The Pride topped Orlando Christian Prep to claim the 2013 championship.
The overwhelming favorite coming into Wednesday’s matchup, Grandiview Prep spent the season atop the 2A standings and Florida’s overall rankings. The Pride are the first Palm Beach County team to finish as undefeated champions since Suncoast did it in 1990.
