Another Close Victory for Palatka Earns A Spot in the Regional Final

By: Janae Muchmore
Feb 23, 2017
2 min read

ALACHUA, FL---As the Palatka Panthers took the court for the final quarter of the Class 6A regional semifinal on Tuesday night, they were trailing to the Santa Fe Raiders by 10. This was nothing new for the Panthers. Five of their eight losses were by two points or less.

Learning from so many close defeats, Palatka was able to develop the composure they

needed to pull ahead in final seconds of the game with a 58-56 victory.

The Panthers held a small lead throughout most of the first half. However, a series of

turnovers allowed Trey McCray to capitalize on offensive opportunities and score a total of 12 points for Santa Fe in the second quarter.

These opportunities gained Santa Fe a 31-22 lead going into halftime.

“We will win this game,” Palatka head coach Bryant Oxendine told the boys during the

half. “We just got to create our own tempo.”

And create they did.

By pulling off the press and forcing Santa Fe to rush offensively, the Panthers came out strong to start the second half. Distractions took over as quickly as the Panthers had started, allowing Santa Fe to extend its lead by 10 points as the buzzer blared to signal the final quarter.

“This was a big game for us, so we had to stay focused,” Palatka forward Demare Purifoy said.

Palatka channeled their focus on the most important aspect of the game: defense. A

series of consecutive fast breaks and defensive rebounds allowed to the Panthers to even the score with 27 seconds left.

Santa Fe had the ball until a forced pass through the paint allowed Tyrius Thomas to

swoop in for a steal, resulting in tip-in at the final horn.

Twenty-seven seconds was enough time to rob Santa Fe of their shot at the regional

finals as Palatka fans stormed the court.

For Chamar Dumas, one word came to mind in those final seconds: “Excellent!”

Palatka will play the Nature Coast Sharks on Friday at 7 p.m. in the regional final.

Lead Scorers:

Santa Fe Raiders

Trey McCray 27 points