FLEMING ISLAND - In a reversal of sorts in basketball, the Fleming Island High boys basketball team fell prey to the pitfalls of a slow fourth quarter as the Golden Eagles, leaders for the first three quarters in their region 1-5A semifinal against Tallahassee Leon, lost the fourth quarter 16-11 to end their season with a 50-47 final. Fleming Island got a could-have-been buzzer beater three pointer from guard Bryce Robinson that would have tied the game at 50-50, but Fleming Island coach Traavis Chandler was signaling for a time out just three steps before Robinson hit his long range jumper.
"It looked like he was going to get double teamed near the three point line and I was calling for a time to keep the ball," said Chandler. "His momentum kept the shot going and it went in, but it didn't count. It's a game of inches as they say."
For Chandler, who had a season of high scoring games leading into the region semifinal, including a fourth quarter blast to beat Tallahassee Lincoln to open the region playoffs, but things just were not falling for the Golden Eagles.
"In a season where we hit 60, 70 and even 80 points in the last five games, Leon held us to just 50 tonight," said Chandler, who finishes at 23-5 after the loss. "We didn't have the three pointers falling, had a handful of turnovers at the wrong time and got beat up on the offensive boards. At this level of playoffs, you can't have a bad game."
With Leon also having a good string of high scoring games; seven games above 60 with two 70-plus and one 80-plus, the game started out as a turnover filled court of fast moving bodies that saw Fleming Island get the early edge at 8-2 and 12-9 at the end of the first stanza off a Nate Lowery three pointer and a slick assist from guard Trace Burney to center Carson Crawford that ended the quarter. Leon got their own three from 6'-7" center Aaron Pensel to close the game to 10-7.
"Both teams were a little sloppy at the start just because both teams were very athletic," said Chandler. "We knew they would be coming out hard, but we were thinking, like with Lincoln, that the second half would be ours. They didn't really gas out on us."
Fleming Island kept the pressure on the Leon defense with the Lions staying four to five points away from the lead through the second quarter with Robinson staying sharp with two jumpers, but Fleming Island still relegated to just one Lowery three pointer in the first period.
"The threes carried us the last three games and opened up the lane for Carson and Aiden (Greenidge) to control the boards," said Chandler.
In the third period, Leon revved up their team speed and aggressiveness and started attacking the rebounds with Pensel and 6'4" senior Tristen Thompson hammering away underneath as the officials tried to keep players on their feet in the tough board battles.
"That's a tough game on both sides with both sides attacking the boards," said Chandler. "If we hit baskets, the game is different."
Robinson hit two more jumpers and Crawford converted a layup and free throw three point play to keep Fleming Island up 30-26, but Leon was percolating behind foul shots as Fleming Island got the fifth team foul at 4:21 and the score at 30-27.
Four free throws by Leon and no buckets for Fleming Island in a two minute span got the score to 32-31 before Crawford crashed for a layup to 34-31.
A three point play; layup plus one, for Leon guard Alphonza Gammons ended the third with Fleming Island clinging to a 36-34 lead.
Opening the fourth, Burney split two defenders to find Greenidge for a layup to push the lead to 38-34 before Leon ran two buckets to tie the game at 38-38 with 6:06 and the Fleming Island gym getting very loud.
Free throws by Leon got another tie at 45-45 with 1:44 to go before free throws got Leon a 48-45 lead with less than a minute.
More Leon free throws and Kameron Baskin jumper got the score to 50-47 before Robinson's dramatic three pointer that did not count.
Leon was to advance to play the winner of the Ponte Vedra vs. Gainesville game.