Preview: Nease Panthers vs. Columbia Tigers
Nease is 8-0 against Columbia since February of 2019, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Nease Panthers will be home for the holidays to greet the Columbia Tigers at 7:30 p.m. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Nease can finally bid farewell to their three-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They blew past Flagler Palm Coast 47-12 at home. That looming 47-12 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for Nease yet this season.
Nease relied on the efforts of Daniela Reich, who scored 11 points along with three steals, and McKenna Owens, who scored 13 points along with eight rebounds. That's the first time this season that Owens pulled down eight or more rebounds. Shruthika Kondabrolu was another key contributor, scoring six points along with six rebounds.
Columbia has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five games by 20 points or more this season. They took their contest at home on Wednesday with ease, bagging a 71-36 win over Madison County. With Columbia ahead 51-31 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
Columbia's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but ZURI HOLLIE led the charge by scoring 30 points along with three steals. The contest was HOLLIE's third in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of JOLENA GARDNER, who shot 4-for-6 from deep and dropped a double-double on 25 points and 12 rebounds.
Nease's win bumped their record up to 3-5. As for Columbia, they are on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 5-3 record this season.
Tuesday's matchup is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Nease have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 30.9 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Columbia, though, as they've been averaging only 26.5 rebounds per game. Given Nease's sizeable advantage in that area, Columbia will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for Nease against Columbia when the teams last played back in January as the team secured a 54-19 victory. With Nease ahead 31-9 at the half, the matchup was all but over already.
