The Hilliard Red Flashes waltzed into their game on Tuesday with nine straight wins but they left with ten. They came out on top against Fernandina Beach by a score of 74-64. Given Hilliard's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 115th, while Fernandina Beach is ranked 305th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Hilliard got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Kevin Thomas out in front who dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Thomas has scored all season. Another player making a difference was CJ Hall, who scored 20 points along with nine rebounds.
Despite the defeat, Fernandina Beach had strong showings from Jesse Basse, who scored 16 points along with two blocks, and Chase Landtroop, who scored 20 points along with eight rebounds. Landtroop continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Miles Townsend, who scored 14 points.
Hilliard's victory was their 11th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 17-2. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 69.0 points per game. As for Fernandina Beach, their defeat ended a six-game streak of away wins and brought them to 13-8.
Hilliard will head out on the road to take on Hamilton County at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. As for Fernandina Beach, they will be playing in front of their home fans against KIPP Bold City at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
