Lee surpasses 1000-point mark!

FZN senior KJ Lee continued his outstanding season with a 22-point effort to lead the Panthers to a victory (58 – 51) over Parkway North in the first round of the FZN Invitational. Entering the game Lee needed 18 points to reach 1000 points for his career, a moment that came late in the 4th quarter during the game with Parkway North. Lee has been a 3-year starter for the Panthers, who currently stand at 13 – 2 on the season and have been ranked as one of the top ten large-school programs in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s area rankings. For the season, Lee is currently averaging 20.2 points per game and has proven to be a leader for the Panthers both on and off the court. Lee, who was recognized as a first-team “All-Conference” performer the last two seasons, is a major college prospect garnering attention from a number of NCAA D1 programs. Lee comes from a strong background in the sport. His father, Kelvin, is currently the head coach at U-City High School and has been a well-regarded coach in the St. Louis area for many years.

In addition to Lee surpassing the 1000-point barrier, Panther Junior Connor Turnbull recently broke the school mark for most career shot-blocks. Turnbull, who stands at 6 feet 10 inches, has recorded a total of 71 blocks so far this season and 108 for his career. He breaks the record set just last year by 2020 graduate Mujtaba “Moosh” Alkhaldi.

So far this season, the Panthers have placed 2nd in the Borgia Turkey Tournament and had an impressive Lafayette Tournament championship by knocking off Vianney, Troy and Lafayette. The Panthers are currently tied with Washington for the top spot in the GAC Central Conference. In addition to Lee and Turnbull, who leads the STL area in blocks per game with 5.2 and has helped the Panthers with 14.4 points per game and 7 rebounds per game, Drake Stevenson has also stood out for the Panthers. Stevenson is among STL area leaders in rebounds per game with 7.8 and he has also scored 12.8 points per game. The Panthers have also had big defensive and transition contributions from George Prouhet and senior point guard Tyler Edwards has been tough defensively and been running the Panthers offense.

With their victory over Parkway North, the Panthers have advanced to the semi-final of the FZN Invitational, where they will host Normandy, a 64 – 50 winner over defending champion Rock Bridge, this Friday night at 8:00 pm.