After being implored to put on their ‘Big Girl Pants’, the Lady Panthers set out to make things right on Friday night in the Ancient City.  Nease longed to make amends for last years Conference Championship loss; an early season shooting debacle that led to defeat and a lost opportunity to battle for the District title.  Such past calamities, fueled the fire, while wetting the appetite of the Lady Panthers.  Oh yes, this one was very PERSONAL.  So, one could surmise that, Nease had some real unfinished business at hand.  If shadows fade with the sunset, hungry Panthers pounce when night falls.  Time to check all the boxes and execute the well -thought out game plan.

The Cardiac Cats (24-4) used a business-like approach this time around.  There would be no messing around, attention to details was at the forefront of their existence.  St. Augustine Lady Jackets (23-1) picked the wrong night to be nonchalant and overconfident.  Both teams successfully handled business at Regional Semifinal games on Tuesday in the Panhandle to set up the long-awaited matchup.

For Nease, one small step to retain County bragging rights and one big step to reach the Final Four.  Who would have thunk it, but you gotta Believe. When preparation and determination are intertwined,  actual success is inevitable. Nease continued to grow stronger and stronger as a unit throughout the course of the season, in spite of inner and outer forces that surfaced.  Consequently, the resume would speak for itself to discredit all doubters.

Time to look deeper into the highlights of cosmic proportions.  After St. Augustine scored the first basket on a layup, Syd Gomes quickly countered with a layup and a three-pointer on back to back possessions.  Leading 5-2 at the 5:30 mark, the Lady Panthers adherence to assignments, stymied the Lady Jackets, while continuing on the 8-0 run.  A right corner trey by Cami Robinson concluded the quarter and extended the lead (11-4).

St. Augustine opened the second period with consecutive baskets to close within three points (11-8).  Two free throws by Allie Fifield and a short baseline jumper was sandwiched between a Lady Jacket basket to bring the score to (15-10) in favor of the Lady Panthers.

After a basket from St. Aug., Syd connected on two shots in a row from behind the arc to force a timeout from the host team, as the lead swelled (21-12).  With under two minutes left before half, Kendyl Ryan knocked down a short corner basket to cement a 14-10 second quarter advantage for Nease.  The sting of the Lady jackets continued to slowly dissipate, as the team showed little signs of the pregame party atmosphere.  In stead, St. Augustine limped off the court staring at the scoreboard deficit (23-14).

The home team opened the second half on a 4-0 run before the ‘Microwave’ caught lighting in a bottle. Cami would score all of the Lady Panthers 13 points in the decisive third quarter as the Panther Nation crowd and Nease bench roared their approval.  The junior guard left corner trey followed by a driving layup had St. Augustine reeling.  Cami would connect on three treys and Nease continued to pour on the defensive intensity.  At this point, the Lady Jackets appeared extremely frustrated, bewildered and tired.  Multiple timeouts by St. Augustine, could do little to derail the strong momentum held by Nease.  It is known in most inner circles, if you take the heart of an opponent, the rest will follow.  The body blows from the Lady Panthers were fast and furious, leaving the opposition dizzy, with no answers and no one to call.  A deep right wing bomb from Cami to end a 15-6 quarter, silenced the whispers. 

With eight minutes of game time remaining, the Lady Jackets were faced with an insurmountable challenge (38-20).   Consecutive baskets by St. Augustine provided a whimper of hope.  However, this night would belong to Nease. Syd responded to the brief challenge offered with a driving layup and 1-2 free throws.  Nease continued to keep the opposition in check . A three-pointer by the Lady Jackets would cut the deficit to fourteen (41-27) with 5:15 left to play. 

As Nease began to spread the floor during the final 4 minutes of play, Allie would find Kendyl for an open free-throw line jumper. St. Augustine would close within twelve points (43-31), but the ‘Matrix' would provide the final swan song to seal the deal. She scored 9 of the team’s 11 points in the final stanza, mostly on open-lane drives to the basket out of the four corner spread.  With nothing else left to be done, a quick glance at the scoreboard would reveal a dominating performance by Nease.  On the heels of the 49-33 victory, the Lady Panthers punched a satisfying, but well-deserved ticket to the State Final Four in Lakeland next week. Let the celebration begin. Behind the outstanding game-plan by the coaching staff, great practice prep and the well-executed game efforts from the players, Nease ceased the opportunity using the starters exclusively.  Mission accomplished and redemption definitely fulfilled.

St. Augustine (23-2) season ended, while Nease (25-4) partied like it was 1999.  Ironically, the aforementioned year was when Nease won their first girls basketball State title. Focusing on quality over quantity this time around, Nease was far more patient and efficient offensively. In the early season loss to St. Aug., Nease attempted sixty-six shots as a team. With the defense on pointe, The Lady Panthers shot 18/39, to include 7/14 from behind the arc on Friday. The backcourt of Syd Gomes and Cami Robinson combined for thirty-eight points, 20 and 18 respectively. After a frigid shooting night in the early season defeat, Cami was very efficient on Friday.  She was 8/11 shooting, including 4-5 treys.

 In addition to top scoring honors, including (3 treys) on the night, Syd pulled down 6 rebs, while dishing out 4 dimes, 4 big time blocks on assignment defense and 2 steals.  Savannah Gomes (‘Lady Spice), executed her lockout defensive assignment to a ’T’, while being unselfish in her offensive approach. The front court came up big in controlling St. Augustine’s bigs.  The 'Alley Cat’ did most of her offensive output in the first quarter, netting 7 points (5/6 free throws).  She gathered 5 big boards, while holding the Jackets center off the boards.  Allie also recorded 2 steals and 2 assists to her stat line, while Kendyl Ryan, AKA ‘Red Bull’, scored 4 points and grabbed 6 rebounds to round out the starters.

The Lady Panthers will now make a Final Four trip for the second time in the past four years. Nease hopes to build on what has already been a gratifying season.  With nothing to lose, The Lady Panthers  (#4 seed) will square off against the #1 seed and the top ranked team in 6A, the Lady Raiders of St. Thomas Aquinas (25-4).  Thursday's semifinal matchup is scheduled to tip off @ 6:00 PM in the Lakeland Civic Center.  Respect all, but fear no one.  Time to ride the train with conviction.  Stay strong and courageous and let the chips fall where they may.  Continue to build on your legacy and have fun!! The cement has yet to dry.  Coach Bernie Blue