Nease tops Matanzas in SJRAC Tournament

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In the final game of the St. Johns River Athletic Conference (SJRAC) Tournament last Saturday, Feb. 2, the Nease boys basketball team (9-17) defeated Matanzas 56-45.

The Panthers got out to an early lead and never looked back. Senior Zachary Fifield and junior Isaiah Fernandez led Nease in scoring with 11 points each. Freshman Logan Ryan had nine points, while sophomore Binni Smith had eight. Fifield and Smith each tallied six rebounds, while Fifield also had four assists. 

Nease opened the SJRAC Tournament with a 43-25 loss to Bartram Trail on Jan. 29. Two nights later on Jan. 31, however, the Panthers defeated Pedro Menendez, 38-36, on a game-winning shot by junior Miguel Solis.

Twenty-four hours later, Nease was back at it against Creekside, who the Panthers ultimately lost to 46-48. The subsequent win against Matanzas marked a positive end of the tournament for the Panthers.  

Nease travels to Ponte Vedra on Friday for a rivalry game. The game will start at 7:30 p.m.