Nease girls lose Gomes to injury, fall to Aquinas in state semifinal game

Nease’s run in the girls basketball state playoffs ended two wins short of a state championship.

Defending state champion St. Thomas Aquinas rolled into the state title game with a 63-45 win over Nease in the Class 6A state semifinals on Thursday night.

The Panthers (25-5) were close early but lost top player Sydney Gomes to an injury early in the second quarter and never recovered. Nease was making just its third semifinal appearance in coach Sherri Anthony’s 37-year tenure and went toe to toe with Aquinas until losing Gomes.

She left the game with Nease down 17-13 and the Panthers wouldn’t get closer than five the rest of the way.

Camryn Robinson had 16 points and Allison Fifield followed with 13 for Nease. Gomes, Nease’s leading scorer at 20.4 ppg in the regular season, hit 2 of 3 shots and had four points. A 3-pointer by Robinson with two minutes, 34 seconds in the third quarter cut Aquinas’ lead to 41-32 but that was the last time Nease was within single digits.