Fort Walton Beach and Bay squared off in some playoff action on Friday, but Fort Walton Beach had to settle for second. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 55-54 to the Bay Tornadoes. The Vikings were not able to repeat the success they had when they faced the Tornadoes earlier this season, when they won 61-44.
When it comes to explaining why Fort Walton Beach lost, don't look at Dylan Ivison. Despite the final result, he went 6-for-11 on his way to 20 points and three steals. What's more, Ivison also posted a 83% three-point shooting accuracy, which is the highest he's achieved since back in December of 2023. Another player making a difference was Kyle Jones, who posted six points along with seven rebounds and four steals.
Bay's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Amare Burgess led the charge by putting up eight points in addition to eight boards and four steals. Vernon Bates was another key player, earning eight points.
Fort Walton Beach has been struggling recently as they've lost four of their last five matches, which has put a noticeable dent in their 11-14 record this season. As for Bay, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 16-11.
Fort Walton Beach has already played their next game, a 75-55 loss against Ribault on the 12th. As for Bay, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 51-39 defeat against Bishop Kenny on the 12th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
