It was a rough night for the Bradford High School girls basketball team, which fell 66-30 to visiting Hilliard on Dec. 4.
Hilliard (5-2), a Rural Class team that made it to the state semifinals last season, built a nine-point lead in the first quarter and pushed the margin to double digits in the second.
The Tornadoes (2-2) were plagued by turnovers (29) and got almost their entire offense from one player — Ar’Nayshia Griffin, who finished with 20 points.
Bradford got off to a good start, with Griffin scoring off an offensive rebound and then driving to the basket for another two points. A free throw by Griffin later put the Tornadoes ahead 5-1.
The Red Flashes got their first basket from Charlee Matos, which was followed by Reah Saunders scoring off a steal, tying it up at 5-5.
Consecutive turnovers by Bradford led to Matos scoring off an offensive rebound and Saunders scoring on a layup, putting the Flashes up 9-5.
Hilliard had one offensive possession on which it grabbed four offensive rebounds, with the fourth by Kailyn Balance resulting in a basket and an 11-5 lead.
The Tornadoes’ Ky’lee Johnson had a layup off a Griffin assist to make it a four-point game, but Hilliard scored seven of the next nine points to take an 18-9 lead into the second quarter.
Matos scored two consecutive baskets off turnovers to give Hilliard a 24-12 lead. The Flashes would go into the half up 26-15.
Hilliard made two three-pointers following turnovers to start the second half and outscored the Tornadoes 17-7 to take a 43-22 lead into the final quarter.
The Flashes finished with 36 points off turnovers.
Griffin, who scored nine of the Tornadoes’ 15 second-half points, led the team in rebounds with 11. She also had a team-high three steals.
Kha’myra Hankerson had three points for Bradford, while Johnson and Nyasia Lopey each had two. A’Drionna Hankerson added one point.
Hilliard’s Matos led all scorers with 24 points.
Bradford travels to play Newberry on Wednesday, Dec. 10, at 6:30 p.m. and will then travel to play Baker County on Friday, Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m.
