JACKSONVILLE - With the double-digit scoring of sisters Nacoya and Narissa Blocton leading the offensive attack, Ridgeview High girl's basketball took a step to preparing for a very tough start of the 2025 portion of their season with a 50-32 championship win over host Fletcher at the Fletcher Christmas Invitational on Saturday at Fletcher High School.
"This was a good tournament to check our ability to stay focused and stay aggressive even when we get a good lead on teams," said Ridgeview head coach Gussie Solomon, now at 8-3 with a schedule back in January of Bishop Kenny, Ponte Vedra, Fleming Island and Baker County. "We played Bishop Kenny in a preseason game and I think we have a better feel for what they do and what can do. We know those games coming are going to test us."
At Fletcher, with Nacoya Blocton scoring 30 in the tournament-opening win over ED White, 60-53, and sister Narissa adding 17, the Panthers showed off a strong attack of the basket in the paint while moving aggressively to slow down opposing guards passing half court. One factor was Solomon missing two key players; guard Emma Rayes, a solid three-point shooter with a 6.6 points per game, and Jamya Davis, averaging six points per game, but also a 7.4 rebounds per game.
"We were missing Emma Rayes and Jamya Davis to family time tonight, we had Emma yesterday, and they will help keep the pressure off Narissa and Nacoya," said Solomon. "On defense, Taniya Booker, a sophomore, is a tough inside rebounder."
Narissa Blocton leads the Panthers scoring with a 13.6 points per game average with Nacoya Blocton adding another 13.8 per game.
Making progress with new faces, Solomon cited two players; freshman Bella Brown and sophomore Lily-Ann Powell, as key contributors to the Panther attack.
"Both are very young players and we have been pushing them to not be afraid to shoot the ball," said Solomon. "As they have taken more shots, it leaves more opportunity for Narissa and Nacoya to pick up balls off rebounds and get layups."
Solomon's strategy for taking on the likes of Bishop Kenny and Ponte Vedra who will be targeting slowing down the Blocton scoring front is to include other shooters to keep the pace.
"If we have the ball and keep shooting, they can't score right?," said Solomon.
Oakleaf also played in the Fletcher tournament with a 41-39 loss to Fletcher and a 48-36 win over ED White.
Bishop Kenny returns to play at 10-2, ranked fourth in 4A, with a seven game win streak and recent tournament wins over Braden River (54-21) and St. Petersburg (73-44). Baker County is 9-1, ranked 20th in 4A. Ridgeview is ranked 17th in 5A just ahead of Orange Park, now 8-4, with Ponte Vedra, 6-6, ranked 24th. Fleming Island, 5-7, is ranked 32nd in 5A.

More Girls Basketball

In more girls basketball, St. Johns Country Day School, now 9-3, will return home from a trip to South Carolina with a 61-34 loss to South Carolina 5A-Lugoff-Elgin and a win over Cathedral Academy 37-28.
Freshman forward Kendall Proffitt has kept her hot shooting rolling with 25 points against Cathedral and 28 points against Lugoff-Elkin.
St. Johns had one final game, against Lake Marion, scheduled for Monday, December 30 before returning to Florida.

In Brunswick, Georgia, Orange Park, 9-5, has a tournament-opening loss to Colquitt County High, 46-43, with Colquitt County 10-1 in Georgia's 6A division. Colquitt County was a Georgia playoff second-round finisher last year.
Orange Park rebounded with a tough 50-49 win over Georgia 3A-Dougherty High, also a Georgia state playoff finisher last year. Orange Park has one more game in Georgia, on Monday, against host Brunswick (9-3) at 5:30 p.m.