Last week the Gainesville girls basketball team defeated Lincoln (Tallahassee) by 23 points in the FHSAA Class 5A-District 2 championship game.

The two teams faced off again on Thursday night at The Purple Palace in a Class 5A-Region 1 Quarterfinal.

Lincoln had an early lead, but No. 2 seed GHS (14-8) put it in another gear and raced past the No. 7 seed Trojans, 66-28, to advance to Tuesday’s regional semifinals.

Senior Keeli Duncan (team-high 13 points) hit a 3-pointer to start the game, but that would be Lincoln’s largest lead of the night.

“I think right now we’re picking up momentum, and the girls are really peaking at the right time so that’s good for us,” said GHS coach Jazlynd Rollins, whose team won its fifth straight game.

The visiting Trojans (15-10) got two free throws from junior Jamiya Brown for a 10-9 lead with 3:07 to play in the opening quarter, but they would never be out in front again.

Brown entered the game averaging 21 points per game but was limited to just seven points.

“Our main goal was to come out with the same energy that we’ve been having these past couple of games and shut down their offensive players and we did exactly that,” said senior point guard Jamison Cardwell, who finished with a game-high 14 points.

Senior Kendall Ruise (8 points) put the ‘Canes out in front at 11-10 and the race was on.

They turned defense into offense and outscored the Trojans 19-9 in the second quarter and 16-2 in the fourth quarter.

“Mayah Gordon,” Rollins said. “She played her butt off, and she’s been working in the gym consistently…long arms, getting steals, playing defense, how she is and it’s just great for our momentum. Defense creates offense.”

The senior scored 11 of her 13 points in the second quarter, including a floater in the lane for the first points of the quarter for an 18-10 lead.

Her 3-ball in the left corner helped open up a double-digit lead at 27-16 with 3:48 to play in the half.

A couple of plays later, Cardwell had one of many spectacular passes on an assist to sophomore Sarah Collins (7 points) who scored on a layup for a 31-16 first-half lead.

Gordon and sophomore Catalina Giraldo Vergara (4 points) added the final two baskets of a 13-0 run for a 35-16 advantage.

Senior Jayden Terry (13 points) added back-to-back buckets in the second half, a right-wing 3-pointer and a runner and floater in the lane for a 43-23 lead with 3:48 to play in the third quarter.

Sophomore Mateja Allen beat the buzzer with a 3-pointer from the left wing to give the Hurricanes a 50-26 lead entering the final quarter.

Then with 4:33 remaining in the game, Cardwell, who scored eight points in the fourth quarter, canned a 3-pointer in the left corner to ensure a running clock.

“We were mentally prepared coming in here,” Gordon said. “We made sure that we just stayed focused, and it was amazing. It feels amazing.”

GHS will host No. 3 seed Beachside (St. Johns) at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in a Class 5A-Region 1 Semifinal. The Barracudas (14-9) advanced with a 56-43 win at home against No. 6 seed Orange Park.

“Being at home is a great feeling,” Cardwell said. “Having my family, every cheerleader’s support, it all helps to really bring home the dub. I hope we can do it, and I know we will do it if we just come in with the same energy, the same intensity. I promise nobody wants it as much as us.”

FHSAA Girls Basketball matchups – Thursday, Feb. 13

Regional Quarterfinals (teams in the Mainstreet coverage area in bold)

All games at 7 p.m.

Class 5A-Region 1

2 Gainesville 66, 7 Lincoln (Tallahassee) 28 

Class 4A-Region 2

3 Mulberry 57, 6 Eastside 49,

Class 3A-Region 1

3 Newberry 65, 6 Andrew Jackson (Jacksonville) 55 

2 Rutherford (Panama City) 44, 7 Bradford (Starke) 32

Class 2A-Region 1

1 Providence (Jacksonville) 65, 8 Oak Hall 11

Class 1A-Region 1

1 North Florida Educational Institute (Jacksonville) 57, 8 Countryside Christian 20 

Regional Semifinals

Rural Class-Region 3

2 Fort White 52, 3 Trenton 43 

Rural Class-Region 4

2 Williston 70, 3 Hawthorne 60