Jacob Daniels and Bobby Crawford Jr. spent four years turning Gibbs High into one of the most dominant programs in Florida. Now they are doing the same thing at Lander University.
The former Gladiators helped the Bearcats reach the NCAA Division II national championship game for the first time in school history. Lander (30-5) was scheduled to face Gannon on April 5 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, with CBS televising the game.
Daniels, a true freshman point guard, leads Lander in scoring at 13.7 points per game and ranks ninth in Division II in assists. He scored 17 in the Bearcats’ 91-81 semifinal upset of top-seeded Nova Southeastern on March 27 at Pittsburgh’s UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse. Crawford, a freshman forward, added 10.
The Nova Southeastern game was no ordinary win. The Sharks entered as defending national champions, had won two of the last three titles and carried a 30-1 record. They averaged 99.4 points per game, best in Division II.
Lander held them to 32.6% shooting and 2 of 16 from 3-point range — both season lows. The Bearcats led for 32 of 40 minutes and broke open a tied game with a 15-2 run midway through the second half.
None of it surprised Daniels or Crawford. They arrived in Greenwood, South Carolina, already knowing what it takes to win when the stakes are highest.
At Gibbs, the two reached the Class 4A final four all four years under coach Larry Murphy. They won a state championship as juniors in March 2024, beating Jacksonville Andrew Jackson 49-43 to end a 55-year title drought. A no-look pass from Daniels to Crawford for a dunk late in the third quarter swung that game.
As seniors, they nearly repeated. Gibbs carried a 20-game winning streak into the 2025 title game and led Fort Lauderdale Stranahan by six with 32 seconds left before losing 63-62 on a last-second layup. Daniels scored a team-high 19.
Both graduated having never missed a trip to the state final four.
Now they are chasing a title at the college level. Lander, which went 15-14 a year ago, has won 15 straight and swept the Peach Belt Conference regular season, conference tournament and Southeast Regional championships. The Bearcats rank in the top five nationally in both field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense.
“We knew we could do it,” Lander coach Omar Wattad said after the semifinal. “I think this roster was made for that type of style.”
Daniels and Crawford have been built for this since high school.
Quick hits
Stat leaders
Here are the offensive statistical standouts on offense for baseball and softball in the county. The list was compiled from MaxPreps state leaders.
Baseball
Batting average
.721: Gabriel Blaxberg, Canterbury
.510: Jase Traina, Calvary Christian
.509: Auston Meissner, St. Petersburg
.500: Micah Murton, Calvary Christian
.485: Sebbie Silva, Palm Harbor University
RBIs
25: Gabriel Blaxberg, Canterbury
21: Aiden Sherifi, East Lake
21: Cooper Riley, Clearwater Central Catholic
21: Noah Ritchie, Seminole
20: Caleb Stratis, Keswick Christian
Home runs
4: Gabriel Blaxberg, Canterbury
3: Alain Esquivel, Hollins
Softball
Batting average
.641: Lucy Mondok, East Lake
.594: Ryann Vigue, St. Petersburg
.581: Ali Sheffield, East Lake
.556: Aviana Dunlap, Northside Christian
RBIs
23: Ava Twinam, Northeast
22: Lucy Mondok, East Lake
21: Aviana Dunlap, Northside Christian
19: Auhbree Northrup, Pinellas Park
18: Mylie Stout, Palm Harbor University
18: Morgan Spinner, Calvary Christian
18: Teagan Miller, Admiral Farragut
Home runs
7: Ava Twinam, Northeast
5: Lucy Mondok, East Lake
4: Mylie Stout, Palm Harbor University
4: Claire Caoili, Calvary Christian
4: Lourdes Guzman, Canterbury
