BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford High School outscored visiting Palatka 21-10 in the second half as the Tornadoes defeated the Panthers 35-25 in the semifinals of the District 3-3A girls basketball tournament on Feb. 4.
The second seed Tornadoes (15-9) will play for the championship against top seed Newberry (19-3) on Friday, Feb. 6, at 7 p.m. in Newberry.
Points were hard to come by for both Bradford and third seed Palatka (10-11), especially in the first quarter, with the Tornadoes going 2 of 16 from the field and the Panthers going 1 of 10.
It was tied at 5-5 entering the second quarter, but the Panthers got three-pointers from Jhane Fountain and Destiny Williams to take an 11-7 lead.
Bradford, which got its first points of the quarter on two Ar’Nayshia Griffin free throws, missed its first five field-goal attempts before Riley Shuford scored on a drive to the basket to make it a two-point game. Shuford later grabbed an offensive rebound that led to a three-point basket by Griffin, putting the Tornadoes ahead 12-11.
It was 14-13 in favor of the Tornadoes after a Griffin basket, but Palatka went into halftime leading 15-14 when Charnelle Cue scored off a Fountain steal.
The Tornadoes’ struggles seemed to be behind them to start the second half, with Bradford scoring the first eight points of the third quarter. Griffin rebounded a missed Palatka shot, dribbled the length of the floor and scored, giving the Tornadoes the lead for good at 16-15. Griffin scored off a steal to make it 18-15 and later knocked down a jump shot to put Bradford up by five. Kah’myra Hankerson scored off a rebound putback to put Bradford up 22-15.
Palatka was able to cut its deficit to four going into the fourth, but the Tornadoes outscored the Panthers 9-2 to start the quarter. Griffin and Palatka’s Fountain traded baskets before Griffin sank a three-pointer. Wynter Barrington and Cayson Hampton each had a basket for Bradford as the Tornadoes took a 33-22 lead.
The Panthers went 2 of 11 from the field in the final quarter.
Griffin finished with 19 points, while Hampton, Hankerson and Ky’lee Johnson each had four points. Barrington and Shuford each added two points.
