Telegraph Staff Writer
Nichelle Brown and Jada Hankerson combined to score nine fourth-quarter points, with Brown’s basket in transition proving to be the difference in the Bradford High School girls basketball team’s 34-32 win over visiting Bishop Snyder on Dec. 9.
A Hankerson three-pointer with less than three minutes to play tied the score at 30-30. On the Tornadoes’ next trip down the floor, Hankerson grabbed an offensive rebound and passed the ball to Ajiyah Jackson, who scored to give Bradford (2-4) its first lead of the game at 32-30.
Hankerson pulled down a defensive rebound at the other end of the court, which led to a runout opportunity for Brown, who was successful on a layup attempt to put the Tornadoes up by four.
Jackson blocked two shots on Bishop Snyder’s following offensive trip down the court. The Cardinals eventually scored the game’s final points off an Italia Martin steal.
The game was all Bishop Snyder at the start, with the Cardinals scoring the first nine points. Bradford’s first points — an Ayanna Pringle basket — came with 1:58 remaining in the first quarter.
Two consecutive baskets by Hankerson, who finished with 14 points, made it a 14-8 game in the second quarter, but the Cardinals outscored 5-0 the rest of the half. Martin, following a Bradford turnover, sank a three-pointer with 13 seconds on the clock to send Bishop Snyder into the break ahead 19-14.
Back-to-back three-pointers by Hankerson and Sky McMillian tied the score at 23-23 with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter, but the Cardinals would take a two-point lead into the fourth quarter.
Pringle grabbed defensive rebounds on Bishop Snyder’s first two offensive series of the final quarter, but the Cardinals eventually made a free throw to make the score 26-23. Brown, following the Cardinals’ trip to the foul line, dribbled the ball the distance of the court and scored to leave Bradford trailing by one.
Bishop Snyder scored four of the game’s next six points to lead by three, but the Cardinals also had an 0-2 trip at the foul line during that span as well as two turnovers, setting the stage for Hankerson’s game-tying three-pointer, the first of three consecutive baskets by Bradford as the Tornadoes closed it out with a win that snapped a two-game losing streak.
Jackson and McMillian each scored five points, while Brown and Pringle each had four. Destiny Crum added two points.
The Tornadoes picked up their first win on Nov. 30 when they defeated visiting Hamilton County 48-36.
Bradford and Hamilton entered halftime tied at 19-19, but the Tornadoes, with five points each from Hankerson, Jackson and McMillian, outscored the Trojans 15-10 in the third quarter.
Hankerson, who scored 16 points, had six points as part of a 14-point fourth quarter.
Brown finished with 10 points, while McMillian and Jackson had nine and eight, respectively. Crum, Pringle and Kimber Woods each added two points.
The Tornadoes then dropped games against Ridgeview and North Marion before getting their second win against Bishop Snyder.
Bradford plays at Union County on Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 6:30 p.m. and will travel to play Keystone Heights on Thursday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. The Tornadoes then won’t be back in action until Tuesday, Jan. 4, when they host Buchholz at 7 p.m.
