Fleming Island- The Ribault Lady Trojans finished the “Battle Of The Island” Tournament 3-0 to win the tournament championship Saturday. They defeated Oakleaf 60-33 on Thursday. Then squeezed out a win over Rickards 43-41. They ended the tournament today with a 55-42 victory over Ridgeview. That win extended their streak to 6-games and counting.
The MVP of the tournament was Terrannya Medlock, whose sharp shooting helped lead Ribault to very impressive victories on the court. In the championship against Ridgeview, the Lady Trojans jumped out to a 10-point lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Destiny Donaldson and Kayla Massey were both named to the All-Tournament team.
The Lady Trojans now sit at 9-2 on the season, their best start since 2016 where that team went 26-3 winning a state championship. The 2023 Trojans are much different than that team, as this team has at least five players who can take over the scoring in the game. This was displayed first hand in Ribault’s contest against Paxon at the start of this week, when Destiny Donaldson led the team with 28-points leading them to a 72-64 victory.
Man Destiny Donaldson is so good! Steal coast 2 coast score for Ribault. She's given the Lady Trojans the lead! @DuvalSports pic.twitter.com/bax4liZjeC
— Andre' Ellis💬 (@andreellis55) December 19, 2023
The contest before that saw Ribault defeat rival Raines 60-49 where Leniya Green and Kayla Massey lead the team in scoring with 11-points each. Massey would score 16 points in a win against Mandarin which was the start of a 6-game win streak and the start of a team playing with extreme confidence.
Said leading scorer Destiny Donaldson, “that confidence comes from our coach, she told us to pick each other up and never knock each other down”. Donaldson is averaging 12.0 ppg, 5.8 RPG, and 2.1 spg. She has been the all around playmaker for this team with her length and athleticism that causes mismatch problems on offense, but also causes headaches for ball handlers on defense.
Destiny Donaldson knows every inch of the court! Watch this steal and lay-in for Ribault! @DuvalSports 65-60 Ribault ,4th pic.twitter.com/Kru6chH8Ws
— Andre' Ellis💬 (@andreellis55) December 19, 2023
Defense has been a staple for head coach Dorian Stevens and that should be a surprise to no one. Her grit and toughness as a former McDonald’s All American (2003) resonates toward her team. They see her sacrifice her time and push through obstacles to be there for them. They have done the same for each other on the court. One of their most talented defensive standouts is Nyeemah Dixon who averages a team high 1 block per game and tied with 2.3 steals per game.
Nyeemah Dixon with the rip and Terryanna Medlock with the tip! Ribault is clamping down in the second half! @DuvalSports pic.twitter.com/Yrcxc6IhrK
— Andre' Ellis💬 (@andreellis55) December 19, 2023
Against Rickards in the Battle of the Island Tournament, the Lady Trojans were down at halftime. However, the team would pull off a 16-7 third quarter to take the lead ad the win. Against Paxon earlier in the week, the Golden Eagles had a chance to take the lead late, but Ribault found a way to clamp down on defense and finish on offense. It’s the reason why they sit at 9-2, tied with the best record in Northeast Florida.
Ribault will resume play on January 5th, traveling to Tallahassee to face Godby (9-3) and a rematch with Rickards (8-3). They’ve greeted the holiday season with success and look to continue their win streak after the Christmas break.
