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Eagles title repeat shot fails

By Ray DiMonda
Posted 2/14/18

FLEMING ISLAND – Fleming Island’s girls basketball team squelched their shot at a repeat district title with a slow fourth quarter costing the Golden Eagles in their third match against Bartram …

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Eagles title repeat shot fails


Posted

FLEMING ISLAND – Fleming Island’s girls basketball team squelched their shot at a repeat district title with a slow fourth quarter costing the Golden Eagles in their third match against Bartram Trail as the Lady Bears won 50-47 Saturday night in the Fleming Island High gymnasium.

The Golden Eagles will have to pack their bags and head up to the Northside of Jacksonville as the Division runner up to visit the First Coast Buccaneers Thursday night at 7 pm. First Coast took down Lee High school 46-35 to advance as district 3-8A champs. The Golden Eagles last saw the Bucs December 5 when they took home a 53-50 win.

With both teams splitting wins in the regular season, one by two points, one by three, everyone knew this was a great matchup. Fleming Island guard Tia Robinson got the inside working early for a slight 10-8 first quarter edge, but the Golden Eagles would not be able to gap the three-point shooting of Bartram Trail who left the second quarter down just 24-20. Alarming to Fleming Island coach Joey Williams was the only other basket all quarter was a two point shot from center Skylar Baltezegar.

In the third quarter, it was the Bears that awoke from a slumber as they

discovered their own three-point machine in guard Dana Art. Art hit two from outside to lead the Bartram Trail scoring in the third. This time it was the Bears that out hustled and racked up the points. The Bears won this quarter 15-14, but Fleming held a slim three-point lead 38-35.

In the final quarter, at 7:08 left, Art would hit another three pointer to tie the game. Fleming took the throw in, went the length of the court and couldn’t convert. Art would nail her number four three pointer before Fleming Island’s Aubrey Burke nailed her own three pointer to put some life back into her team and the score was back to a one point deficit, 44-43.

Each team would pass the ball back and forth and drive the clock down to 2:41 left in the game. Down by three point, 48-45, and 52 ticks left on the clock, Fleming Island looked for a shot as Bartram tightened up their defense and didn’t give the Eagles any room to breathe. As the clock hit 43 seconds and with no shot, Williams called a time out and settled his crew down.

Off the throw in, the plan was to set up Burke in the corner. Burke let a shot fly from outside the arc that missed. Coming down with the ball, the Bears got two more foul shots.

Now down by five points with 32.1 left to play, Robinson took control and charged inside to hit another two points. Down by three, 47-50, the problem became time. The set up for Robinson drained the clock down to 13.7. Fleming needed a key play, but failed to get a shot off before the buzzer ended the game.