BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Telegraph Staff Writer
Bradford High School made three straight three-pointers as part of a 20-2 run to close out the game and give the Tornadoes a 60-47 win over Ridgeview in a boys basketball matchup on day one of a winter tournament at BHS on Dec. 27.
The Tornadoes’ Keith Taylor was hot to start the game. He scored off a Willie Pollard assist and followed that with two more baskets (including a three-pointer) to put Bradford ahead 7-0.
Pollard scored off a Race Black steal to make it a 9-0 game.
After making 4 of their first 5 field-goal attempts, the Tornadoes (3-3) went 0 for 10 the rest of the quarter.
Cold shooting plagued both teams. Ridgeview (1-8) missed its first 10 field-goal attempts, which helped Bradford go into the second quarter leading 9-5.
The two teams combined to shoot 29 percent in the first half, which ended with the Panthers leading 19-18.
Bradford missed its first 10 shot attempts in the third quarter, which including failing to capitalize on consecutive backcourt turnovers by Ridgeview. Taylor ended the drought with his third three-pointer of the game, followed by Dae’Jon Shanks making a three-pointer, which left the Tornadoes trailing 25-24.
Mattox Burgin was fouled on a drive to the basket late in the third quarter. He made only one of his free-throw attempts, but Black rebounded the miss on the second attempt and sank a jumper that gave Bradford its first lead of the second half at 32-31.
Ridgeview made a three-pointer with 4 seconds remaining in the third quarter to give the Panthers a 34-32 lead.
The Tornadoes trailed by five points in the fourth quarter when they began their 20-2 run. It began with a three-pointer by Shanks. Damarion Hankerson, following a Shanks defensive rebound, sank another long-range shot to put Bradford ahead 46-45. Shanks grabbed another defensive rebound, which led to another three-pointer by Hankerson.
Shanks was fouled on a drive to the basket after grabbing an offensive rebound. He made both free throws with 1:56 to play to make it a six-point game. Burgin was fouled after a Ridgeview turnover, making 1 of 2 free throws. Brazell rebounded the missed attempt and scored to put the Tornadoes ahead 54-45.
Brazell, who then rebounded missed shots on the Panthers’ next two offensive possessions, had quite the ending to the game. He converted on three wide-open layup attempts off assists from Shanks (2) and Burgin.
Taylor finished with 15 points, while Brazell and Shanks had 12 and 11 points, respectively. The Tornadoes also got eight points from Hankerson, five each from Burgin and Cummings and two each from Black and Pollard.
Bradford plays Tavares on day two of the tournament at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28. The rest of the tournament schedule that day has the Keystone Heights and Williston girls teams playing at 2 p.m., the Keystone and Ridgeview boys teams playing at 3:30 p.m. and the Bradford and Tocoi Creek girls teams playing at 5 p.m.
