Last week, the Newberry girls basketball team got off to a slow start and trailed 19-2 in a 64-62 loss at home to Bradford (Starke) in the FHSAA Class 3A-District 3 championship game.

On Friday night in the FHSAA Class 3A-Region 1 Quarterfinals, the No. 2 seed Panthers flipped the script.

They led by as many as 12 in the opening period, led by as many as 18 in the second half, and cruised to a 56-42 win at home against No. 7 Episcopal (Jacksonville).

“I think our defense set the tone in the beginning, so that’s how we were able to get the big lead,” said first-year Newberry coach Jessica Ross. “I think we were just able to hold the ball and keep them at bay. Defense was the overall theme of the whole game.”

In the district semifinals, a 78-40 win against Keystone Heights, Newberry senior guard Brandy Whitfield went over 2,000 points in her career.

But it was sophomore Destiny Neal who helped set the tone with nine of her 14 points in the opening quarter.

“Brandy is on everybody’s radar because she’s averaging 30 points,” Ross said. “It’s next-man-up mentality. Whoever is hot that night, we’re just going to shoot it and ride it.”

Neal scored the first points of the game on an offensive putback with 6:51 remaining in the opening quarter.

After Episcopal senior Ailey Cole tied it at 2 apiece almost 30 seconds later, Newberry quickly answered with 3-ball in the right corner by sophomore Rihanna Chiever for a 5-2 lead with 6:13 to play in the opening period.

Episcopal (18-9) was unable to tie the game again.

Freshman Londyn Hines (9 points) drained a 3-pointer from the right wing for a 9-4 lead to help spark an 8-0 run, which ended with Whitfield’s first field goal on a layup for a 14-4 lead.

Whitfield, who was double-teamed at times, only had three points in the opening quarter, but she finished with a team-high 17 points.

“Even though I wasn’t scoring, I was another threat on the defensive end, kicking it out to my team, getting open layups, and it just feels amazing to be moving on to the next round,” Whitfield said.

Newberry (20-4) hit five 3-pointers in the first half, including Hines’ 3-ball from the left wing with 36 seconds left in the half for a 37-20 advantage.

A 3-pointer by Whitfield from the left corner opened the scoring in the second half and gave the Panthers their largest lead, 40-22, with 6:50 remaining in the third quarter.

Episcopal senior Zara Griffith (game-high 19 points) entered the game averaging 16.5 points per game but was held to just six points in the opening half.

She scored all seven of her team’s points in the third quarter, including an and-one, to get the Eagles within 12 at the end of the third quarter, 41-29.

However, the teams traded baskets for most of the fourth quarter, so the 12-point margin was as close as Episcopal would get the remainder of the game.

Newberry will host No. 3 seed South Walton (Santa Rosa Beach) on Friday, Feb. 20, in the regional semifinals. The Seahawks (19-6) advanced with a 53-36 win at home against No. 6 seed Florida High (Tallahassee).

“I’m just happy we’re still playing basketball,” Ross said.

GIRLS

Area teams in bold.

Quarterfinals
Friday, Feb. 13

Class 3A-Region 1

1 Bolles (Jacksonville) 48, 8 Bradford (Starke) 13

2 Newberry 56, 7 Episcopal (Jacksonville) 42

Class 4A-Region 2

1 Bishop Moore (Orlando) 73, 8 Eastside 20

Class 5A-Region 1

1 Booker T. Washington (Pensacola) 61, 8 Gainesville 34

Class 6A-Region 1

4 Lake Howell (Winter Park) 64, 5 Buchholz 52

Semifinals

Rural-Region 3

1 Hilliard65, 4 Dixie County (Cross City) 16

2 Fort White 70, 3 Madison County 24 

Rural-Region 4

1 Williston 65, 4 Moore Haven 14

2 Wildwood 69, 3 Chiefland 15