Basketball Recap: St. John Paul II Comes Up Short

St. John Paul II and North Florida Christian squared off in some playoff action on Friday, but St. John Paul II had to settle for second. They fell 68-59 to the North Florida Christian Eagles. Unfortunately, that's the second time they've come up short against the Eagles this season, as they also lost their prior matchup 55-50 back in January.

Mario Forbes

Rebounds

02/07/25 vs North Florida Christian	18
02/05/25 vs Community Christian	23
01/31/25 vs Maclay	11
01/30/25 vs Pensacola Catholic	13
01/28/25 vs Munroe	21
+ 18 more games

Despite the loss, St. John Paul II still got an impressive performance from Mario Forbes, who dropped a double-double with 26 points and 18 rebounds. Forbes is crushing it when it comes to boards: he's pulled down at least nine every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Cruz Fontenot, who posted 13 points and six rebounds.

Even though they lost, St. John Paul II smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in eight consecutive matches.

North Florida Christian's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jace Riggan, who made all 6 shots he took racking up 20 points and six boards. Nyle Wright was another key player, going 6 for 12 to rack up 20 points.

St. John Paul II has traveled a rocky road recently having lost 11 of their last 13 games, which has put a noticeable dent in their 9-14 record this season. As for North Florida Christian, the victory (which was their third in a row) raised their record to 10-14.

The two teams are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. St. John Paul II will face off against Christ's Church Academy at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. St. John Paul II is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 53.8 points per game this season. As for North Florida Christian, they will challenge Eagle's View at 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. North Florida Christian knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past four contests -- so hopefully Eagle's View likes a good challenge.