HILLIARD, Fla. – To say there was anticipation for the matchup between West Nassau’s Deebo Coleman and Hilliard’s Jacob Crews would be an understatement. Just ask the dozens of fans who were not allowed in because of overflow crowds at the Hilliard gym.
While Coleman (15 points) and Crews (13 points), two of the top players in the region basically canceled each other out, it was their supporting casts who make the difference.
West Nassau’s Justin Hicks scored a game-high 23 as West Nassau (13-10) beat Hilliard (17-2) 53-48, gaining revenge after the Red Flashes beat the Warriors in the season opener.
It looked like the game would be a runaway when West Nassau scored 10 of the game’s first 11 points. But Hilliard put together a run in the third quarter led by Tre Rush, who scored 12 points in the ball game.
Crews tied the game at 39 in the fourth quarter, but Hilliard never took the lead. Instead, The Warriors went on a 9-2 run to stretch the lead to seven and never looked back.
PAXON WINS GATEWAY TOURNAMENT
The No. 1 ranked team in the News4Jax Super 6 high school basketball poll, Paxon, cruised to a 69-38 win in the finals of the Gateway Conference basketball tournament. It was the first time since 1964 that Paxon’s boys’ team had won the Gateway conference title.
Isaiah Adams led the Golden Eagles (20-5) to the win with 19 points. Daniel Watson added 13 and Derrick Johnson scored 11 for Paxon.