Raines HS- First Coast erased an early 7-0 deficit to take the lead and the championship game against Ribault, winning the annual Northwest Classic Tournament 59-53. First Coast was led by #4 Naseem Khaalid’s 16 points and #1 Jalen Shuman’s 12 points as they were able to knock down their open looks to the basket. Ribault’s Devon Matthews hit a big three pointer to pull the Trojans to within six points with less than a minute remaining, but First Coast played keep away effectively forcing Ribault to foul. First Coast then knocked down their free throws to put the game away.
After a thrilling 48-47 overtime win over Raines in the previous round of the tournament, First Coast defeated Ribault to capture the trophy for the second straight year. The Buccaneers are now 9-2 on the season, and looking to continue their success in the second half of the season after the Christmas break. The Bucs have made three consecutive visits to the Northwest Classic and have won the last two championship games.
