Wekiva wasted no time setting the tone in its Class 6A District 5 quarterfinal matchup against Lake Minneola on Tuesday night, racing out to a commanding first-half lead and never looking back in a 78-36 playoff victory. 

The Mustangs (19-6) came out with energy on both ends of the floor, using suffocating defense and great shooting to overwhelm the Hawks (2-15) from the opening tip. Ameer Garland opened the scoring with a basket inside, then immediately forced a turnover and pushed the ball ahead to Eric Nichols, who drilled a 3-pointer to ignite their momentum. 

Kenny Dieujuste followed with a strong finish in the paint, and Garland continued to pressure Lake Minneola into mistakes, converting another turnover into free throws to make it 9-2 early. Dieujuste went to work inside from there, spinning through defenders for back-to-back buckets. Garland fed him again on the next possession, and Dieujuste completed the three-point play. 

Wekiva’s ball movement and defensive intensity quickly turned the game into a rout. Dieujuste kicked out to Louvens Saint Pierre for an open trey, then Saint Pierre found DJ Thomas in the corner for three more following another forced turnover.  

Jasen Francillon added to the momentum with a steal and pull-up jumper, then capped off the quarter in style when the Mustangs pushed the ball in transition and threw an alley-oop to Francillon at the buzzer. By the end of the first quarter, Wekiva held a commanding 30-8 lead. 

Francillon opened the second quarter the same way he closed the first, stealing the ball and going coast-to-coast for a layup. Moments later, Markel Anderson fired a cross-court pass to Khai Orr in the opposite corner to bury a 3 off the bench.  

Francillon added two free throws, and Saint Pierre and Thomas cleaned up the glass for back-to-back second-chance baskets, forcing a Lake Minneola timeout with Wekiva up 41-10. 

Dieujuste continued to dominate inside, grabbing multiple offensive rebounds and finishing strong. He later stepped out and knocked down a 3-pointer of his own. Orr kept pushing, slicing into the lane for a crafty reverse layup through contact and completing the three-point play. He followed that with two free throws after another foul and then scored again on the Mustangs’ final possession before halftime. 

By the break, Wekiva had built a massive 55-19 advantage, triggering a running clock for the entire second half. 

Lake Minneola scored first in the third quarter, but Saint Pierre answered with a wing 3. After another Hawks basket, Dieujuste converted on third-chance points following two offensive rebounds. Saint Pierre then jumped a passing lane and went coast-to-coast for a layup, while Nichols closed the quarter by sinking two free throws. Wekiva carried a 64-25 lead into the fourth. 

With the outcome well in hand, the Mustangs continued to spread the scoring around. Orr added two more baskets, Francillon scored off strong rebounding, and Kaiden Jean Louis and Jace Moore each finished inside. Wekiva coasted through the final period to seal the 42-point win. 

Five Mustangs scored in double figures, led by Orr, who sparked the team off the bench with 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Francillon stuffed the stat sheet with 14 points, nine rebounds, and two steals, while Dieujuste added 12 points, nine rebounds, and three assists in a dominant interior performance. 

After the game, head coach Gersino Lubin emphasized the importance of using the win as preparation rather than celebration. 

“The main thing for us was to build the right momentum, so do all the little things correct,” Lubin said. “We didn’t want to create any bad habits or stack bad habits to bring Thursday. I get to watch film tonight, have a film session tomorrow, and have a really good practice in preparation for Edgewater. Hopefully we didn’t do too many numbskull things to where we can clean it up tomorrow and bring our best selves on Thursday.” 

With the decisive first-round win, Wekiva advances to the district semifinals to take on Edgewater Thursday night.