NORTHSIDE-Playing in its deepest playoff run in four years, Raines played like an inexperienced team in a 66-46 loss at home to Marianna in the Class 5A regional finals at Douglas White gym.
Raines came out playing a zone defense and quickly regretted it as Marianna exposed the Vikings defense with uncontested three pointers all night.
Marianna jumped out to a 9-0 lead before the Vikings finally got on the board. In the first couple minutes, Raines had just as many air balls as Marianna had three pointers.
Marianna finished the night with 10 three pointers, while Raines had none.
End 1: Marianna 19, Raines 10 pic.twitter.com/Wg9ypd2maM
— Corey Davis (@ByCoreyDavis) February 25, 2017
Marianna led by 9 points at the end of the first quarter but by the middle of the second quarter pushed the lead to well over 17 points.
Marianna wide open 3s has Bulldogs a half away from Lakeland. https://t.co/A8YPS8zfaK
— Corey Davis (@ByCoreyDavis) February 25, 2017
Half: Marianna 35, Raines 18
— Corey Davis (@ByCoreyDavis) February 25, 2017
As the third quarter ended the lead reached as high as 29 points as the Bulldogs nailed a buzzer beating three pointer.
End of 3rd: Marianna 55, Raines 26. Nick Pollocks caps period with buzzer-beating Bulldogs three.
— Clayton Freeman (@CFreemanJAX) February 25, 2017
Raines made a run in the fourth quarter to cut it to 20 with three minutes left but it was to little to late.
FINAL: Marianna 66, Raines 46 in Region 1-5A boys basketball final.
— Clayton Freeman (@CFreemanJAX) February 25, 2017
Lincoln 62, Creekside 61 (OT)
Lincoln 62- Creekside 61, Final. pic.twitter.com/vZPeudeoSC
— Will Brown (@wwbrown19) February 25, 2017
For the second straight year, Creekside found themselves one win away over Lincoln from advancing to Lakeland for the first time in the school’s brief history.
And for the second straight year, the Knights left the gym falling one win away from making the school’s first ever trip to the Final Four.
Things looked bad for the Knights early on in the second half as the Trojans led by as many as 14 points before a 7-0 run cut the lead to 48-40 at the end of the third quarter.
Trailing by three with under two minutes remaining, Caleb Townsend tied it up with a three pointer sending the home crowd to its feet.
Tied up at 55, Creekside had one final possession of the game but fell short and both teams headed to overtime.
DJ Lumas basket with 11.4 seconds left gave Creekside the lead at 61-60, seconds away from reaching its first trip to Lakeland.
However, for the second straight year Lincoln knocked out Creekside to advance to its second straight Final Four.
