BY CLIFF SMELLEY
A free throw by Kah’myra Hankerson sent the game into overtime, but the Bradford High School girls basketball team was then outscored 15-10 in losing 47-42 to visiting Oakleaf on Jan. 24.
Oakleaf (11-11) scored eight of the first 11 points in overtime, but the Tornadoes cut their deficit to two points after Ar’Naysia Griffin went 3 of 4 from the foul line.
Griffin later scored after a turnover to make it a 42-40 game with 1:32 to play. Bradford, however, committed four turnovers on its final six possessions, with its last two points coming off free throws by Cayson Hampton and Nyasia Lopey.
The Tornadoes (11-9) got 22 points from Griffin. Ky’lee Johnson scored four points, while Hankerson, Wynter Barrington, Jayda Sambolah and Riley Shuford each scored three. Hampton and Lopey added two points and one point, respectively.
Lopey grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, while Griffin had six. Griffin also added five steals and four assists.
Hankerson had four steals.
It was the second straight loss for the Tornadoes after a 33-31 win over host Eastside on Jan. 20.
Bradford held a 31-22 lead over Eastside before experiencing a fourth quarter in which it missed all nine of its field-goal attempts and committed eight turnovers.
The Rams tied the game with a layup off a steal with 2:36 to play.
Griffin grabbed a defensive rebound with 11 seconds left and fired a pass downcourt to Lopey, who was fouled going to the basket with 5 seconds on the clock. Lopey made both free-throw attempts to give Bradford the two-point win.
The Tornadoes got 19 points from Griffin, six points from Lopey, two points each from Hampton and Johnson and one point from Barrington and Sambolah.
Griffin and Barrington had 11 and 10 rebounds, respectively, while Johnson had seven. Barrington also blocked four shots.
Bradford lost 60-20 to visiting Newberry on Jan. 22. Stats weren’t available.
The Tornadoes host Suwannee on Monday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. and will travel to play at Santa Fe on Wednesday, Jan. 28, at 7 p.m. Bradford hosts Trenton on Thursday, Jan. 29, at 5:30 p.m., following a junior varsity boys game at 4 p.m. and preceding a varsity boys game at 7 p.m.
