Fort Walton Beach Girls Basketball has not lost to an in-county rival since a district loss to Choctaw on Feb. 7, 2024. On Friday night, the Lady Vikings capped their second straight county sweep with a win at Niceville, extending their winning streak against county opponents to 12.
- “It’s a real confidence booster to win against everyone in the county, because we have some really good teams in this county, so it just says a lot about our team,” Fort Walton Beach coach Mercedez Claybrone said.
The win also marked Fort Walton Beach’s fifth straight victory over Niceville and handed the Lady Eagles their first home loss since Jan. 13, 2025. Niceville, locked in a tight race for the district’s top seed with Tocoi Creek and Navarre, played without star guard Carson Fayard.
The game opened as a defensive battle, with Fort Walton Beach holding a slim 12-7 lead after the first quarter. The Lady Vikings’ defense continued to shine in the second, highlighted by Anecia Stallworth’s two steals, including one that led to a fast-break basket. Niceville’s Marayna Duerr answered with a steal and layup of her own, but Fort Walton Beach carried a 24-17 advantage into halftime.
The third quarter saw the Lady Vikings pull further ahead, outscoring Niceville 12-5. The Lady Eagles’ only points came from an Audrina Nelson steal and basket, a KK Hardy jumper assisted by Duerr, and a free throw from Mariah Heron. Fort Walton Beach’s defensive trio of Stallworth, Alexis Smith and Aniyah Boyd kept Niceville’s offense in check.
In the final period, baskets from Abria Jordan-Jackson and a key steal by Smith put the game out of reach. Boyd’s bucket midway through the fourth quarter all but sealed the outcome, though Ramyan Tripeaux provided a late spark with two 3-pointers in the closing minutes. Stallworth capped her strong night with another steal, drawing praise from her coach.
- “I’ve been telling Anecia since day one that she is the best defender in the county. She guards 84 feet, and she’s a nightmare to offensive players. She really throws them off their game,” Claybrone said.
The Lady Vikings’ balanced attack was on full display, with contributions from Smith, Boyd, Stallworth, Jackson, Harmony Lee and Chloe Burgos.
“You never know which kid is going to show up that day, and when one’s struggling the other picks up the pieces,” Claybrone added.
Fort Walton Beach (18-3) travels to Mosley on Wednesday before closing the regular season at home against Pine Forest.
Niceville (17-6) hosts Booker T. Washington on Tuesday and finishes the regular season Friday against Milton.
