BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Maliki Cobarris had 15 points in a second half that included a 15-0 run that helped the Bradford High School boys basketball team defeat Class 4A Baker County 54-44 on Jan. 11 in Starke.
The Class 3A Tornadoes (10-2) have now won six in a row, with their last loss occurring on Dec. 18.
Baker scored the game’s first basket, but Bradford’s Jy’Quez Cason answered with a three-pointer. The Tornadoes led the entire first half after that, despite shooting less than 20 percent from the field.
Cason sank another three-point shot following a turnover, while a Steven Carter steal led to Cobarris being fouled on a drive to the basket. Cobarris made both awarded free throws for an 8-2 lead.
It was 8-6 when Cobarris made a three-pointer following a Cason steal. It was Bradford’s final field goal of the quarter, but Baker went 0 for 7 after Cobarris’ basket. The Wildcats did get two free throws from Tanner Zody, but they also failed to get a basket in transition when Cobarris blocked a layup attempt.
Cobarris was fouled on a three-point attempt early in the second quarter. He made 2 of 3 free-throw attempts for a 13-8 Bradford lead.
The Tornadoes made just 2 of 16 field-goal attempts in the quarter, with the first not occurring until 3:19 remained until halftime. Bradford, though, was still leading at that point, with Cobarris’ three-point basket putting the Tornadoes up 16-11.
Breion Johnson scored off an offensive rebound with less than 30 seconds on the clock to make it 18-14, but Baker’s Gerald Ruise sank a three-point shot that left the Wildcats trailing 18-17 at the half.
Cobarris, who led all scorers with 22 points, had two baskets early in the third quarter, but a 6-0 Baker run gave the Wildcats a 23-22 lead.
It was 26-25 in favor of Baker when the Tornadoes went on an 11-0 run to close out the third quarter. The run began with Jordan Cason grabbing a defensive rebound and dribbling the length of the court for a basket that gave Bradford the lead for good. A successful jump shot by K.J. Taylor was followed by two free throws from Johnson. Cobarris then scored off a Carter steal, while Carter scored the quarter’s final points on a three-pointer, making the score 36-26.
The run carried over into the fourth quarter, with Carter and Cobarris each scoring on a drive to the basket and making it a 40-26 game.
Three three-pointers by Will Johnson helped the Wildcats cut Bradford’s lead to seven, but the Tornadoes got consecutive scores, with Taylor getting a basket off an offensive rebound and Carter grabbing a defensive rebound, dribbling the length of the court and scoring after a spin move in the lane for a 51-40 lead.
Carter finished with 10 points, while Taylor and Jy’Quez Cason each had six. Johnson and Jordan Cason each added five points.
Jordan Cason grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds, with the Tornadoes also getting six from Johnson.
Cobarris had a game-high four assists, while Carter had three.
Carter came away with a game-high four steals, with Jordan Cason and Jy’Quez Cason each recording three.
Earlier in the week, the Tornadoes earned two wins at home, beginning with a 52-43 win over Class 5A Middleburg on Jan. 9.
Jordan Cason scored 19 points and added six rebounds and three steals, while Cobarris had 13 points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Taylor and Kyren Green each had six points, with Bradford also getting three each from Carter and Jy’Quez Cason and two from Johnson.
On Jan. 10, the Tornadoes had three players score in double figures in a 72-43 win over fellow Class 3A team Baldwin.
Jordan Cason and Cobarris had 18 and 16 points, respectively, while Carter added 13. Bradford also got nine points from Jy’Quez Cason and eight each from Green and Johnson.
Carter and Jordan Cason each had eight rebounds, with Carter also dishing out eight assists and coming up with four steals.
Cobarris had seven assists and three steals.
Green and Jy’Quez Cason each grabbed five rebounds, with Cason also adding three assists and four steals.
Bradford travels to play Palatka on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 7:30 p.m. and will travel to play Crescent City on Friday, Jan. 17, at 7:30 p.m. The Tornadoes then travel to play Oakleaf on Saturday, Jan. 18, at 7:30 p.m. before returning home to play P.K. Yonge on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 7:30 p.m.
