FLEMING ISLAND - With a five-game win streak entering the Battle on the Island girls basketball tournament at Fleming Island High School, Ridgeview High's rugged inside game, led by senior Nia Blocton, hit a roadblock against an equally rugged inside game in their championship game loss to Ribault, 55-42, on Saturday.

"We knew coming in about their strong game in the paint and I think my girls were a little tentative about that at first," said Ridgeview coach Gussie Solomon. "Our first quarter was good but they got tough in the second and got a little bit of a lead (28-22) and we were just unable to close that gap."

Ridgeview advanced to the Battle on the Island final with decisive wins over Mandarin (52-40) and Trinity Catholic (55-33) with the Panther defense locking down Trinity with four single-digit quarters and the Panthers having to fight off a third-quarter surge by Mandarin with a 19-11 final stanza for the win.

Against Ribault, the Lady Trojans flexed hard and fast with an opening 11-0 stretch that forced Solomon to wake up her troops.

"I think they were a little overwhelmed with how fast and aggressive Ribault was and we were not slowing them down with our full-court press," said Solomon. "We got them to adjust and slowed them down after that, but they were getting the long breakaway pass to a layup."

With senior Nia Blocton getting inside position, but not being able to land a bucket, Ridgeview scratched back with a 10-8 surge to close the first period with Narissa Blocton landing two baskets and center Jamya Davis fighting for a rebound and earning two free throws.

Ridgeview stayed in the 6-10 point gap range with two threes from Nacoya Blocton to go to the half down 28-18.

Ribault kept the gas pedal to the floor and kept their 10-point gap through the third.

In the final stanza, with Narissa and Nacoya challenging the paint defense of Ribault and getting free throws, Solomon's strategy seemed to be wearing on the Trojan lineup but Ridgeview was only banking free throws to end the game.

"We are set to finish out strong after the break," said Solomon, who took over from former coach Tyler Miller, now at St. Johns Country Day School, who lost in the region finals last year with three scorers at 11 points per game; Nia and Nacoya Blocton and guard Paetyn Miller who graduated. "We are getting some good plays from our bench with Jamya Davis and Aniyah Campbell giving us good play underneath. All three Blocton girls; sophomore Narissa, are over 10 points per game."

Ridgeview returns with Keystone Heights on January 9 and University Christian on January 11.

In other games, Oakleaf's girls got the bad draw in their first two games against Ribault (9-2) and Bolles (10-2) before the Knights got their second win against Fleming Island.