LARGO — In last year's district final between St. Petersburg Catholic and Shorecrest, the Chargers' abundance of 3-point baskets was the difference.
On Saturday night, however, the Barons stifled Shorecrest's top offensive weapon and took control of a close game to defeat Shorecrest 58-48 for the Class 3A, District 9 championship.
Ryan Green scored the first basket of the second half to give the Barons a lead they would not relinquish. Green's basket was part of a 12-2 run to open the half.
The Barons started the fourth period strong as well, opening with a 7-0 run that pushed them to a 12-point advantage.
Shorecrest eventually cut the lead to seven, but a layup and foul shot by Pat Artise put SPC in front 52-42 with less than two minutes remaining.
Shorecrest tried to get back in the game by shooting 3-pointers. However, the clock worked against the Chargers as their players passed the ball around the perimeter for an open look, where few could be found.
After hitting 14 3-pointers in the semifinal, Shorecrest cooled off Saturday, making just six.
"I thought in the second half we did a great job of getting to their shooters," SPC coach Mike Moran said. "We started cheating on the corners."
Moran also noted how happy he was to get the win for his graduating seniors, including Green and Kevin O'Donnell.
Green led all scorers with 21 points.