Coming off a 53-52 loss on Tuesday night against Booker T. Washington High School, the Pace Patriots rebounded with a 52-36 win at home against Gulf Breeze High School. The 12-7 Patriots defeated the same district opponent earlier this season.
“Gulf Breeze has a good team,” said PHS head coach Carl Pippin. “I thought defensively we played well and that is one of the things we have done good all year.”
Pippin was also pleased with how the team performed on offense.
“They did a good job of moving the ball, getting our shooters open, sharing (the basketball) and knocking down shots,” he said. “I was impressed with how we played tonight. It was a good game for us to bounce back from that Washington loss.”
Although Pippin said there is always room for improvement on the varsity squad, he said his team is continuing to make strides in each game.
Senior Jahmiah Simmons agreed with his coach on the team’s offensive performance against the Dolphins.
“It was pretty tough match-up, they got some pretty tall kids. It was hard to get a layup, but we got some guys who can shoot,” Simmons said.
The Patriots are scheduled to face another district opponent, Pine Forest High School, Tuesday night at home. PHS lost to PineForest on the road in early December by just three points.
While Simmons has seen progress on offense with their upcoming opponent, focusing on the opposite side of the game is just as important.
“Last time we did not play defense in the fourth quarter and we need to play defense,” Simmons said.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Pace Patriots roll past Gulf Breeze, 52-36