The Wekiva girls basketball team leaned on resilience and late execution to pull away from Lake Howell (10-3), 67-58, despite being shorthanded Tuesday night. 

The Mustangs played without Jakayla Johnson, who was injured Monday in the fourth overtime against Jupiter, but is expected to return shortly after their week-long break.  

“If a sister goes down, someone has to step up,” head coach Jerry Middleton said. “We continue to understand that nothing is going to be easy, and it was a great win for us to realize what that sisterhood really means.” 

Wekiva faced a gauntlet of extra opponents over the holiday break. In the KSA Pre-Holiday Classic Dec 18-20, the Mustangs gave undefeated Utica Notre Dame (NY) a battle but fell late, 46-32. They beat 5-2 Northwestern (PA), 36-28, then finished off the tournament against 8-2 Hillcrest (MO), with a dramatic one-point loss, 35-34. They played in the Sunshine Classic Monday against 9-2 Jupiter and lost in quadruple overtime, 60-57. 

Against Lake Howell, the first quarter was a back-and-forth battle, with Tiana Washington controlling the paint early and Lake Howell countering with perimeter shooting. After Jasmine Pooler snagged a steal for points, Wekiva closed the quarter strong with a Makayla Bell 3 to take a 20-18 lead. 

Defense dictated the second quarter as both teams struggled to find rhythm. Bell attacked inside before kicking out to Alexis Hill for a three, and Hill followed with two free throws and another deep contested trey to extend the lead. Wekiva carried a 32-23 advantage into halftime as Lake Howell’s shooting cooled. 

Lake Howell responded in the third, drilling three early 3s to erase the deficit. Wekiva answered with baskets from Pooler, Bell and Washington, but the Hawks briefly grabbed their first lead late in the quarter. Washington’s free throw tied the game at 46-46 heading into the fourth. 

Bell and Pooler set the tone early in the final period, contributing a jumper, a steal and a fast-break finish. Ja’Niya Poole added a corner 3, and Bell followed with another from the wing to push the lead to eight with three minutes left.  

Wekiva broke Lake Howell’s press with crisp passing, leading to Washington’s inside basket that sealed the win. 

Bell led all scorers with 21 points, five assists and three steals. Washington finished with 14 points and six rebounds, while Pooler added 13 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in her first full game back at point guard since ACL surgery. 

“It’s not about the now, it’s about the later,” Middleton said. “Balling out for the holidays is about seeing different styles and adapting, learn from the good and the bad while battling through adversity — that’s what prepares us for when it really matters.” 

Wekiva is back in action Jan. 7 against Lake Nona (4-7).