It was not a good night for Alachua County in the second round of the boys basketball state playoffs, going 0-for-4 on Tuesday.
Columbia (Lake City) scored the final 12 points of the game in a 46-42 come-from-behind win against visiting Gainesville in Class 7A. It was a game of run between the two District 4 rivals.
After being down by 12 early in the second quarter, GHS (16-13) went on a 10-0 run and an 8-0 to take a 34-32 lead into the final quarter. However, the Tigers (17-12) would finish the game on a 12-0 run to advance to its first regional final in 19 years.
Columbia will host Crestview in Friday’s regional final.
Eastside (26-3) missed a free throw with 1.3 seconds to play and lost at home to Palatka, 61-60, in Class 6A. Junior Malik Buford (team-high 18 points) hit the game-winning shot with 4.3 seconds.
The Panthers (25-4) will host Nature Coast Tech (Brooksville) with a chance to advance to its their straight state semifinal.
P.K. Yonge last at University Christian (Jacksonville), 83-63, in Class 4A, and Hawthorne lost to Madison County in Class 1A, 53-48, snapping the Hornets’ 17-game winning streak.
