FHSAA girls basketball 2A semifinals preview: Will Faith Christian and Miami Christian advance to championship game?

Starting Wednesday and continuing through Saturday, 21 games will take place at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.

We have reached the Final Four across all seven classifications in the 2022 Florida high school athletic association (FHSAA) girls’ basketball playoffs.

Starting Wednesday and continuing through Saturday, 21 games will take place at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland (Home of the NBA G-League’s Lakeland Magic). Over the next few days, SBLive will preview all seven semifinals matchups.

Here's a look at the Class 2A semifinals:

Class 2A semifinal No. 1: University Christian vs Faith Christian - Wednesday at 10 a.m.

The University Christian Christians (18-11) are in the Final Four for the first time in program history. The Christians are coming off a narrow 55-53 win over Florida A&M (Tallahassee) in their regional final last Friday night. The Christians come into the Final Four riding a 7-game winning streak. Their defense has been stifling all postseason, as they’ve allowed just 28.3 points per game.

Players to watch for University Christian: Senior guard Taijshiah Baldwin is leading the team, averaging 17 points and four rebounds per game. Another name to keep an eye on will be senior forward Monique Cepeda who is averaging 11.3 points per game for the Christians.

On the other side the Faith Christian Lions (26-4) are also in the Final Four for the first time in their program history. The Lions are coming off a 67-35 thumping of Central Florida Christian in their regional final. The Lions come into the Final Four on a 6-game winning streak overall. In the Lions regional run, their defense is allowing just 26 points per game which is the key to their success.

Players to watch for Faith Christian: Sophomore guard Dezmariah Soto is averaging 13.9 points and 4.1 steals per game this season. Also keep an eye on sophomore forward Camryn Patterson who leads the team in rebounds (9.3) and assists (4.0) per game this season. 

Prediction: Faith Christian

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Class 2A semifinal No. 2: St. John Neumann (Naples) vs Miami Christian - Wednesday at 12 p.m.

The Neumann Celtics (23-5) are in the Final Four for the first time since 2008, where they lost 52-49 to Lafayette (Mayo). The Celtics are coming off a 63-54 win over Keswick Christian in the regional final, behind a 27-point performance by senior forward Leah Martin-Gonzales. The Celtics are coming into the final four on a 7-game winning streak, including six of the wins by double figures. 

Players to watch for Neumann: Senior forward Leah Martin-Gonzales (18.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 5 steals per game), Sophomore forward Sophie McCartney (16.3 points and 13.1 rebounds per game) and junior forward Elise Flannery (7.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and three assists per game.)

The Miami Christian Victors (19-8) are also back in the Final Four for the second year in a row. The Victors are also coming into this week, on a 7-game winning streak. The Victors are coming off a 67-29 thumping over Berean Christian in their regional final. 

Players to watch for Miami Christian: Senior guard Enjulina Gonzalez (15.2 points, 9.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game), Sophomore guard Samantha Vales (14.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.2 steals per game), Sophomore guard Ziul Gonzalez (10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game) and senior forward Eizaenirys Allende (10.4 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game)

Prediction: Miami Christian