BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Ar’Nayshia Griffin outscored both opposing teams as the Bradford High School girls basketball team returned to action after the holiday break with two 30-plus-point wins.
The Tornadoes (11-2) got what was then a career-high 38 points from Griffin in a 60-28 win over visiting Baldwin on Jan. 10. Cherish Bing added 16 points, while Ky’lee Johnson and Wynter Barrington had three and two points, respectively.
Barrington led the team in rebounds with 10, while Griffin and Johnson had six and five, respectively.
Griffin led the team in assists with four and steals with nine.
Barrington and Bing had three and two steals, respectively.
On Jan. 13, Griffin set a new career high again in points, scoring 43 in a 66-31 win at Suwannee.
It was the fifth time this season Griffin has scored at least 30 points in a game.
Nichelle Brown had eight points, while the Tornadoes also got four each from Barrington and Kailyn Teal, three from Nyasia Lopey and two each from Bing and Johnson.
Barrington again led the team in rebounds with 10.
Griffin grabbed six rebounds to go along with a team-high three assists and a team-high five steals.
Barrington and Lopey each had two steals, with Barrington also adding two assists.
Griffin has scored a total of 332 points this season, which is the 15th most in the entire state when compared to players who’ve had their stats entered on MaxPreps. Only one player on a fellow Class 3A team has more points than Griffin — Freeport’s Jasmine Miles (341).
In looking at points-per-game average, Griffin’s 25.5 ranks her second in Class 3A behind Pine Crest’s Isabella Sangha (26.0).
Griffin’s average is 10th best in all classifications.
Bradford hosts Palatka on Tuesday, Jan. 14, at 7 p.m. and will host Newberry on Friday, Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. The Tornadoes are currently 16th in the Florida High School Athletic Association/MaxPreps Class 3A power rankings, while Newberry is 18th.
Out of the 15 schools ranked ahead of Bradford in 3A, 11 are private. Another two are public charter/magnet schools.
On Saturday, Jan. 18, Bradford travels to play Oakleaf at 6 p.m. The Tornadoes return home to play Eastside on Monday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m. Bradford then hosts P.K. Yonge on Tuesday, Jan. 21, at 6:30 p.m.
Bradford travels to play Hawthorne on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m.
