Niceville girls basketball falls short of Final 4, season ends at 24-5
NICEVILLE — Everything that could've gone wrong did for Niceville in Friday's Region 1-6A title game.
Anabelle Shackelford got in early foul trouble, the offense struggled to feed 6-foot-2 Anna Kimball in the paint and Carson Fayard, coming off a 30-point Sweet 16 effort, was bottled up on the perimeter.
The result was an off-night for top-seeded Niceville, which watched second-seeded Ponte Vedra knock down eight 3s and ice the game at the foul line in 58-47 Final 4 qualifying win on Niceville's home court.
The Eagles finish the season 24-5, including a 15-game win streak headed into Thursday night.
But Ponte Vedra did something no other foe could: Get Niceville out of its offense. After a stalemate first half that Ponte Vedra led 24-23, the visitors started raining 3s and forcing turnovers.
Morgan Gavazzi and Kennedy Rosendahl buried 3s in the third quarter to extend the lead to 35-27, and later Charlie Peverley beat the buzzer on a 23-footer from the right elbow to give the visitors a 42-36 lead headed into the fourth quarter. Niceville simply didn't guard the perimeter well and Ponte Vedra made the Eagles pay.
The lead never dwindled to a single possession in the fourth, Niceville getting within 48-44 with 3 minutes left to play on a pair of coast-to-coast layups by Fayard. Afterward, the visitors seeled the win at the line, going 8-for-10 in the waning seconds.
Kimball finished with a team-best 15 points and 12 rebounds, the majority of her damage coming off her own hustle on the offensive glass. Fayard finished with 11 points and six rebounds and Kiyah Hatcher contributed 11 points and five boards for the Eagles, who know this was a win ripe for the taking.
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Niceville girls basketball loses in FHSAA Region 1-6A final
