Wekiva wasted no time setting the tone for its season opener, forcing 30 turnovers and overwhelming Mount Dora 73–36 on Monday night behind a dominant two-way performance from senior forward Jasen Francillon. 

Francillon powered the Mustangs with 23 points, seven rebounds, three blocks and a steal, erupting in the second half as Wekiva (1–0) pushed a 19-point halftime lead into a runaway win. Ten out of the 11 Mustangs on the floor scored. 

Wekiva’s relentless defensive pressure, switching between half-court and full-court presses, smothered the Hurricanes from start to finish.  

“We have a lot of guys that can score the ball,” Wekiva head coach Gersino Lubin said. “But collectively, we’ve got to be better defensively. I didn’t think we dictated what they did in the first half, and we can’t afford to start slow. The identity showed itself more in the second half.” 

Wekiva struck first on an offensive rebound putback from junior Kenny Diejuste, who set the tone on the glass all night with eight points, six rebounds and three combined blocks and steals. The Mustangs’ early pressure quickly flustered Mount Dora.  

After a steal near midcourt, senior guard Darion Thomas pushed ahead, got the ball back in transition and buried a wing 3-pointer to force an early Hurricanes timeout as Wekiva jumped ahead 11–2. 

Thomas finished with 11 points, five rebounds, three assists and three combined blocks and steals. 

The Mustangs led 15–10 at the end of the first quarter before exploding to open the second. Senior guard Eric Nichols knocked down a long three on the first possession and later added his second of the night, finishing with eight points, four assists and five steals.  

Moments later, senior center Ameer Garland checked in and delivered two blocks on the same possession as the gym erupted. 

Behind the press, Wekiva surged to a 26–12 lead midway through the second. Mount Dora’s Hunter Straughan-Clay did his best to keep the Hurricanes within reach, scoring 11 of their first 17 points and finishing with a team-high 16.  

But Wekiva closed the half with a flurry of points. A tough and-one conversion from Francillon followed by a left-wing 3-pointer from Thomas stretched the Mustangs’ advantage to 38–19. Francillon delivered nine first-half points as Wekiva forced 15 turnovers before the break. 

“I thought we took too long to get going,” Lubin said in regards to the close opening quarter. “In the second half, our identity showed itself better.” 

That identity was speed, depth and pressure. 

Wekiva opened the third quarter with another blast, holding Mount Dora to just seven points in the frame while pushing the lead past 20. Francillon caught fire scoring from three point range and at the rack. Diejuste kept snagging boards for second-chance points, and the Mustangs defense continued to swarm ballhandlers in the backcourt.  

Reserve guard Khai Orr added eight points and a steal as the rotation continued to roll. 

By the fourth quarter, Wekiva had fully imposed its will, turning turnovers into a steady run of transition layups  and a dunk that sealed the blowout. 

Lubin’s key to the game entering the opener was to “Focus on the details. This first game is about how well we can play within ourselves.” 

Wekiva did plenty right in its debut, but Lubin believes they can raise the bar even higher. 

The Mustangs return to action at 1 p.m. on Friday, hosting Lake Nona in a rare school-day matchup.