LANTANA – It’s playoff time for basketball in Palm Beach County.
For both Park Vista and Santaluces, they would play each other close early on as it was 21-20 with Park Vista in the lead at the end of the first.
John Smith would make a long range three midway through the second quarter to lift the Cobras to a 33-24 lead. Sherman Royal would follow Smith’s act with a long range three of his own that would give Park Vista a double digit lead with a little under two left in the second.
The Chiefs would surge late in the second quarter to cut the Cobras double lead to 40-34 at halftime.
Smith would come out hot in the third, as he made another long range three.
But the Chiefs would work their way back into the game, as Chance Dixon would complete an and-1 play that would cut the Cobras lead to nine midway through the third.
Santaluces would cut into Park Vista’s lead some more near the end of the third after two made free throws by Jordan Toussaint. Park Vista would lead 58-53 going into the fourth.
Santaluces’s Tyler Miller would force Park Vista into a turnover that led to a fast break layup for guard Ryan O’Connor.
Dixon would knock down a huge three in the fourth to put the Chiefs within one midway through the fourth, 61-60.
The Chiefs fourth quarter surge would force the Cobras into a timeout to regroup.
Tyler Miller would put the Chiefs back within one after his team was down by as much as five in the fourth.
Then with 11.3 left in the game, Santaluces would take a 69-68 lead over Park Vista.
This game would have a wild ending as Park Vista’s Josue Natalus would go full court, complete a behind-the-back crossover, and then knock down a 15-foot shot as the clock expired to lift the Cobras to a 70-69 victory.
Park Vista will move on to play Atlantic at Spanish River High School on Feb. 14. The Cobras will likely see Eagles center RJ Duhart in the starting lineup, who missed the Palm Beach Lakes game due to injury.
Leading scorers for each team
Park Vista: Sherman Royal with 26 points
Santaluces: Tyler Miller with 18 points
