The Nease Panthers boys basketball team competed in the Fortegra Invitational for the third time in the last four years and went 1-2 during the three-day tournament at FSCJ South Campus in Jacksonville, including a 49-43 win over Bolles.
Senior Jack Kuhl led the way with 15 points in the victory over the Bulldogs as he shot 67% from the field, while Chase Phifer and Reid Foster joined him in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Kuhl also had a team-high six rebounds and blocked two shots during the contest, as the Panthers ended a four-game losing streak in a big way.
Prior to the win, the Panthers had been showing signs of improvement during the first couple of days of the tournament but were just unable to put an entire game together to come away with a victory.
They opened up with a 53-36 loss to University Christian, the eventual third-place team at the Fortegra Invitational, where one rough quarter proved to be the difference in the game.
The teams were one basket apart in the first, third and fourth quarters but the Panthers were outscored 15-3 in the second quarter, which proved too much to come back from.
Junior Langston Hackworth scored a team-high 16 points against University Christian.
On the second day of the tournament, the Panthers faced fellow St. Johns County school Tocoi Creek High and battled the Toros before falling 51-40.
Hackworth showcased his ability from long range against the Toros making all three of his three-point attempts en route to a team-leading 11 points.
Kuhl had a productive tournament all around and finished with another double figure scoring performance with 10 points against the Toros, while Luke Lindsay had three steals on defense.
With only three seniors on the squad the Panthers have relied a lot on young talent which continues to develop and stand out with each game, and the win over Bolles showed the team’s potential when everything comes together for a complete game.
