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The Palatka Panthers and the Santa Fe Raiders will face off Tuesday night for a spot in the 2017 FHSAA Boy’s Basketball 5A Regional Championship.
How they got here
Palatka reached the semi-final round by eliminating Eastside in a competitive 57-53 quarterfinal game. Santa Fe advanced to the regional semi-final more comfortably by knocking the Matanzas Pirates out with a 59-46 win.
Palatka has been one of the hottest team’s in the state once the calendar reached 2017. Since the new year, the Panthers are 12-2, including currently being on a six game winning streak.
Santa Fe is making its second straight appearance in the regional semi-final. Santa Fe hopes to eliminate Palatka for the second year in a row, after doing so in the quarterfinals last year, and reach the regional final for the first time in school history.
Key to the Game
If Santa Fe wants to pull the upset by beating the streaking Panthers, the Raiders have to keep Palatka in check during the fourth quarter. Palatka’s offense comes alive during the final quarter. They average 21.4 points for the season in the fourth. Even though Paltaka is on the road, the Panthers have proven to be a good road team this year. The Panthers have a road record of 8-3.
Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m. Tuesday
