BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Ar’Nayshia Griffin scored all 20 of the Bradford High School girls basketball team’s 25 points in the third and fourth quarters, helping the Tornadoes rally from a 10-point halftime deficit and defeat Ed White 40-37 in overtime on Dec. 23 in the Orange Park High School Christmas Classic.
A three-pointer by Kaiya Thompson put the Tornadoes (7-5) up 8-6 in the first quarter. Bradford, which went scoreless in the second quarter wouldn’t make another basket until Thompson hit another three-point shot at the 5:23 mark of the third quarter.
Bradford entered the second half trailing 19-9. Griffin made two free throws for the first points of the third quarter, while Thompson’s three-pointer made it a 21-14 game.
A free throw by Griffin and basket by Cayson Hampton pulled the Tornadoes to within four points. Two baskets by Griffin kept the margin the same as Bradford entered the fourth quarter trailing 25-21.
Ed White struggled at the foul line, missing seven of eight attempts to start the fourth quarter.
Griffin scored all of the Tornadoes’ fourth-quarter points. She made a free throw for her team’s first point and then scored a basket when she grabbed a defensive rebound and went the length of the court. Griffin sank a three-point shot at the 4:47 mark to put Bradford ahead 27-26 — the Tornadoes’ first lead since the first quarter.
The Commanders were able to take a three-point lead before Griffin put Bradford back on top with a basket, making the score 31-30 with 1:03 left in regulation.
After Ed White tied the score, Griffin went 3 of 6 from the foul line, making it a 34-31 game.
The Commanders’ Lyrick Hewitt came away with a steal and was fouled, putting her at the free-throw line. She made 1 of 2 attempts, but a teammate rebounded the second miss and was fouled putting up a shot with 1.2 seconds on the clock. Two made free throws tied the score at 34-34 and sent the game into overtime.
A basket and a free throw put the Commanders up 37-34, but they wouldn’t score again.
Griffin scored on a drive to the basket before Thompson knocked down her third three-pointer of the game to put Bradford up 39-37.
Griffin scored the final point on a free throw with 13 seconds remaining, giving her 27 points for the game. Thompson had nine points, while Bradford also got two from Hampton and one each from Wynter Barrington and Ky’lee Johnson.
Barrington and Griffin led the team in rebounds with 14 and 11, respectively. Barrington also had a team-high three steals, while Griffin and Johnson each had two.
Griffin also added three assists.
Bradford’s first game in the two-day tournament was a 61-51 loss to St. Johns Country Day on Dec. 22.
The Spartans made seven three-pointers in the first half and went on a 14-3 run to close out the second quarter, giving them a 36-19. Kendall Proffitt made four of those three-pointers and scored 19 of her game-high 35 points in the first half.
After back-to-back three-pointers by Griffin and Hampton, the Tornadoes’ got a two-point basket and free throw from Griffin to whittle the margin down to 10 in the third quarter.
Griffin scored 12 of Bradford’s 17 third-quarter points.
A basket by Griffin and two free throws by Nyasia Lopey made it a 49-42 game in the fourth quarter. Johnson then had a layup off a Griffin assist to leave the Tornadoes trailing by five.
Proffitt scored consecutive baskets off Bradford turnovers to put the Spartans up 53-44. After a Griffin basket, the Spartans scored six straight points to go up by 13.
Griffin had two baskets — including a three-pointer — to help bring the final margin to 10.
After scoring just four points in the first half due to being on the bench because of foul trouble, Griffin finished with 25. She also grabbed seven rebounds and came away with three steals.
Jayda Sambolah scored seven points, while Hampton and Lopey each had six. Kailyn Teal and Johnson added four and three points, respectively.
Barrington grabbed seven rebounds and blocked two shots, while Sambolah had six rebounds.
The Tornadoes will participate in a tournament at Eagle’s View Academy in Jacksonville, playing San Jose Prep on Monday, Dec. 29, at 3 p.m. and Baker County on Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 1:30 p.m.
