The Hilliard Red Flashes had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They blew past Madison County 66-40. Hilliard has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 games by 20 points or more this season.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Hilliard to victory, but perhaps none more so than Kevin Thomas, who almost dropped a double-double on 24 rebounds and nine blocks. Thomas is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down ten or more in the last four games he's played. CJ Hall was another key contributor, scoring 21 points along with six rebounds and three blocks.
When it comes to explaining why Madison County lost on Saturday, one person who can't be blamed is Marcus Hawkins jr.. Despite the final result, he dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds. Another player making a difference was Markevian Stephens, who scored eight points.
The victory was the 15th in a row for Hilliard, bringing their record for this year to 22-2. They've been dominating during the contests in that stretch too, as they've won by an average of 24.7 points. As for Madison County, their loss dropped their record down to 10-13.
Hilliard is on the road again on Thursday and plays Newberry at 7:00 p.m. on February 15th. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are closely ranked in Florida (Newberry is ranked 167th, while Hilliard is ranked 151st). Madison County does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
