BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford High School took advantage of Eastside’s poor shooting in the fourth quarter, outscoring the visiting Rams 8-2 and winning 37-32 in a girls basketball matchup on Jan. 20.
Ar’Nayshia Griffin scored on a drive to the basket with 3:19 to play to give the Class 3A Tornadoes (13-4) the lead for good as Class 4A Eastside made just 1 of 14 field-goal attempts in the final quarter.
The win snapped a two-game losing streak for the Tornadoes.
Griffin, who finished with 23 points, scored seven points during a 9-0 run in the first quarter that helped send the Tornadoes into the second quarter leading 14-9.
The second quarter opened with Bradford outscoring Eastside 6-2, with all six points coming from Griffin. Three of those came off her second three-pointer of the game.
Eastside scored six straight points, including two off a turnover that pulled the Rams to within 20-17. Bradford turned the ball over again on an offensive foul, but the Rams gave the ball right back on a turnover of their won with 17 seconds remaining in the half. Ky’lee Johnson scored off an offensive rebound just before the buzzer to send the Tornadoes into halftime leading 22-17.
Bradford scored the first four points of the third quarter, with Griffin scoring off a Nyasia Lopey assist and then getting another basket off an Eastside turnover. The Tornadoes’ Cherish Bing had a three-pointer, but the Rams made three of their own, which made it a 29-26 game in favor of Bradford.
The Tornadoes wouldn’t score again, committing five turnovers (including two on the offensive end) as the Rams were able to take their first lead of the game and go into the fourth quarter with a 30-29 advantage over Bradford.
Eastside got a basket to open the final quarter, but would go 0 for 13 from the field the rest of the way.
The Tornadoes trailed 32-29 when Wynter Barrington made a free throw. Bradford then tied the score when Griffin grabbed a defensive rebound and dribbled the length of the court for a basket.
Following an Eastside possession in which the Rams missed three shot attempts, Griffin added her final points on her basket, which put Bradford ahead 34-32.
Brown added a free throw and a last-second layup for the game’s final points. She finished with four.
Barrington and Bing each had three points, while Johnson and Kailyn Teal each added two.
Brown and Griffin each had five rebounds, with Brown also recording three assists.
Barrington and Griffin blocked three and two shots, respectively.
The Tornadoes entered the game off a 42-38 loss to Class 6A Oakleaf on Jan. 18 in Orange Park. Griffin scored 18 points, while Bradford also got seven points from Brown, six from Barrington, five from Bing and two from Lopey.
Barrington grabbed a team-high 13 rebounds. Brown had seven, while Griffin and Lopey each had six.
Griffin blocked three shots.
Bradford, which was scheduled to play at Hawthorne on Wednesday, Jan. 22, at 7 p.m., will travel to play Trenton on Saturday, Jan. 25, at 4 p.m. The Tornadoes then play two home games against District 3-3A Newberry on Monday, Jan. 27, at 6 p.m. and Williston on Tuesday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m.
