BY CLIFF SMELLEY
Bradford High School struggled mightily against the second-ranked team in Class 3A, losing 48-13 in a Region 1 girls basketball game on Feb. 13 in Jacksonville.
Bolles (23-4), the region’s top seed, now hosts a semifinal game against Andrew Jackson on Feb. 21.
The eighth seed Tornadoes (16-10) were seeking their first regional win in 10 years, but they made only four field goals, shooting 15 percent from the field. Bradford also had 26 turnovers.
Bolles scored the first six points as Bradford turned the ball over on three of its first four possessions. Ar’Nayshia Griffin sank a jump shot at the 3:04 mark of the first quarter to give the Tornadoes their first basket and make it a 6-3 game.
It was only an 8-4 game in favor of the Bulldogs entering the second quarter, but the Tornadoes were held scoreless until Griffin got a basket off an offensive rebound before halftime. Bolles led 20-6.
Though never able to seriously threaten the Bulldogs, the Tornadoes did make it tougher than usual for them. Bolles was averaging 62 points per game, with Bradford becoming just the second team to hold the Bulldogs to less than 50 points in a win.
Griffin finished the game with 11 points, while Nyasia Lopey added two.
