BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford High School had a big advantage in field-goal percentage, but turnovers hurt the Tornadoes’ effort in a 53-47 loss to host Newberry in the District 3-3A girls basketball championship game on Feb. 8.
The second seed Tornadoes (14-8), who went 0-3 against Newberry this season, shot almost 60 percent from the field, while the Panthers shot less than 30 percent. However, approximately 30 turnovers limited Bradford’s scoring opportunities.
Top seed Newberry (16-6) also helped itself by making eight three-pointers.
A three-pointer by Bradford’s Cherish Bing left the Tornadoes trailing 10-9 in the first quarter. Newberry’s Jada Brown scored off an offensive rebound following a turnover, but the Tornadoes got a basket from Nichelle Brown off a Kailyn Teal steal, sending Bradford into the second quarter down 12-11.
Bradford turned the ball over on its first four possessions of the second quarter, but Panthers were only able to turn them into two points. The Tornadoes tied it a 15-15 when Bing scored off a Brown assist and Teal scored off an Ar’Nayshia Griffin assist. Jada Brown put Newberry back on top when she sank a three-point shot.
Griffin grabbed a rebound on the defensive end and dribbled the length of the court for a basket, making it 18-17. Bradford then took a 19-18 lead when Griffin, after grabbing another defensive rebound, passed the ball downcourt to Ky’lee Johnson for a layup.
The Panthers responded with a 7-0 run to close out the half. Brandy Whitfield knocked down a jump shot and then had a steal that led to a short jumper by Sarah Beaulieu. Beaulieu came away with a backcourt steal following her basket and made a three-pointer that sent Newberry into the break leading 25-19.
Newberry scored six of the first eight points of the third quarter, but Bradford then outscored the Panthers 13-5. Griffin had a free throw and a basket before Bing made a free throw. Griffin added another basket, while the Panthers’ Whitfield scored to make it 33-25 in favor of Newberry. After Nichelle Brown knocked down a jump shot, Griffin had a steal that led to her own three-point basket, pulling Bradford to within 33-32.
Jada Brown answered with her own three-pointer, but Griffin scored off an inbounds pass from Bing with four seconds on the clock to send the Tornadoes into the fourth quarter trailing 36-34.
The Panthers got a three-pointer from Beaulieu that helped them go up 41-37. Nichelle Brown scored on a drive to the basket before Griffin, after a turnover, scored off an offensive rebound, tying the score at 41-41.
Newberry took a 45-41 lead with a basket and two free throws, but the Tornadoes tied it again with baskets by Bing and Brown with less than three minutes to play.
Bradford then turned the ball over eight times the rest of the way, including three times on its final four possessions. The Tornadoes didn’t score again until Griffin’s rebound putback with less than 30 seconds to play.
The Panthers, meanwhile, added all of their final points at the foul line.
Griffin finished with a game-high 18 points, while Nichelle Brown had 17. The Tornadoes also got eight points from Bing and two each from Johnson and Teal.
Beaulieu, Whitfield and Jada Brown all scored in double figures for Newberry.
