Lady Dolphins lose by one at Pace
GBHS rallies from 12 down before losing 48-47
BY JASON THOMPSON Gulf Breeze News jason@gulfbreezenews.com

File Photo Deannette Zuniga hit two free throws in the final minute, but Pace scored three the last four points for a one point win.

The Gulf Breeze Lady Dolphin basketball team rallied from 12 points down in the second half, but three free throws in the final 26 seconds allowed Pace to escape with a 48-47 win Thursday.

The game had some odd timekeeping in the final seconds. With 8.3 seconds to play and the Lady Dolphins down one, they committed a foul as about a second and a half continued to run off the clock.

Pace made one of two to take a two-point lead. Natalie Alverson drove the length of the floor, lobbed a pass down to Tobie Bass. With two players on her, Bass caught the ball, shot and was foul with two seconds left.

But when she came down, she landed on a Pace player's foot, injuring her ankle.

Bass limped up to the line and made the second of the two shots. With two seconds left, the time began to run as the ball was passed in, not when it touched a player inbounds. Alverson was unable to get a foul call as time expired.

Pace, who beat Gulf Breeze by a combined 62 points in their two meetings last year, jumped out to a 33-21 halftime lead. Ashley Fabery hit four three-pointers in the opening half.

Bass, who had 16 points (on 7-for-12 shooting) and 10 rebounds, scored a pair of buckets off passes from Deannette Zuniga to make it a 43-34 game after three quarters.

Jamie Beeler, who had nine points (on 4- for-6 shooting) and seven rebounds, hit a three-pointer with seven minutes left that got GBHS within five. After a Pace free throw, Bass scored off an Alverson feed to make it a four point game.

Another Bass bucket made it a 45-42 deficit, while a Beeler jumper got Gulf Breeze to within one.

Zuniga, who had eight points and four assists, got fouled with 35.3 seconds left. She made both shots to give Gulf Breeze the lead, setting the stage for the wild finish.

Anndrea Marsh was 3-for-4 from the field for six points. Alverson had four points and seven assists, while Morgan Bass, Christine Hay and Jordan Smith all had two each.

Pace JV 38, Lady Dolphins 18

Lauren Alverson scored 10 points in GBHS' loss to Pace.

The Lady Dolphins played at Tate Monday (after the News' deadline). They host Central in their regular season opener on Monday. The ninth graders play 6 p.m., with the varsity at 7:30. The JV team plays PHS at 4:30 p.m. Gulf Breeze will open District 1-4A play Tuesday against PHS at the old Woodham High School. Tipoff is at 6 p.m.