Fort Myers beats crosstown rival South Fort Myers in regional quarterfinals

Senior Tyra Brown leads young Green Wave team to second round

FORT MYERS, FLORIDA —Tyra Brown isn't done playing basketball. During Thursday's playoff game, she made sure her high school career didn't come to an end.

With the Class 6A regional quarterfinals getting uncomfortably close, Brown put her Fort Myers High team on her shoulders. A 6-foot-2 forward who is the Green Wave's only senior, made clutch shots, key free throws and grabbed big rebounds in a 52-43 win at South Fort Myers.

"I want to go all the way my senior year," Brown said. "I'm going to try my hardest and do anything I can do to win."

Fort Myers coach Chadwick Terrell, who has led the Green Wave to three previous state championships, coaches up his team during Thursday’s Class 6A regional quarterfinal / Photo by Adam Fisher

Fort Myers (19-6) led by as many as nine points in the third quarter of the 6A-Region 4 first round game. But with 5:30 left to play, South's Makayla Sprague swished a 3-pointer to pull the Wolfpack within two points at 36-34.

The Greenies kept their poise thanks to Brown. Fort Myers' lone senior hit a free throw, then drilled a 3 (her only one of the game) to give her team some breathing room.

On the other end of the court, Brown helped the defense lock in. Fort Myers held South scoreless for four minutes as the Green Wave went on an 11-0 run.

Following Sprague's 3-pointer, the Wolfpack (18-8) didn't score again until 1:11 left to play, when they were down 13 points.

“Sometimes it's not all about scoring," Brown said of her defensive effort. "I try to do several things to pick the team up, no matter what it is. If I have to get rebounds, I'm going to get my rebounds. Anything to help."

Fort Myers, the No. 6 seed in the region, will travel to No. 2 Bloomingdale (25-2) for the regional semifinals on Tuesday.

Brown finished with 17 points, including nine points in the fourth quarter. Junior guard Jadah Toombs scored 15 points for Fort Myers. Ari Marc added nine points, and Trinity O'Connell had eight.

The Green Wave won without starter V'davrielle Johnson. The sophomore guard injured her hand last week during the district finals, which Fort Myers lost to Charlotte. Johnson is the team's fourth-leading scorer this season at 10.9 points per game. She's also second in rebounds (6.7 per) and first in steals (3.7).

Coach Chadrick Terrell, who led Fort Myers to three straight state championships from 2016-18, said he didn't know when Johnson would return. However, he didn't completely rule her out for the postseason.

“The longer we keep playing the better chance we have of getting her back," Terrell said.

South Fort Myers hung around in the game thanks to the offense of Haley Lang. The 6-1 senior had a game-high 21 points, including 13 in the second half.

Sprague added nine points for South, all coming on three 3-pointers in the second half. Jayda Green added eight points.

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher

Photo by Adam Fisher