The Bradford Tornadoes waltzed into their contest on Monday with two straight wins but they left with three. They pulled ahead with a 42-41 photo finish over Dunnellon. This was payback for Bradford, who suffered a 57-52 loss the last time these two teams met.
Bradford's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ar'Nayshia Griffin, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 12 rebounds. Griffin has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times she's played. Jada Hankerson was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with six steals.
Several Tigers players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Tatiana Matthews, who scored 15 points along with three steals and three blocks. Matthews is absolutely dominating the point category: she's posted at least 15 every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Shamyra Reid, who scored six points along with 16 rebounds.
Dunnellon struggled to work together and finished the game with only four assists. That's the fewest assists they've managed all season.
Bradford's victory bumped their record up to 10-7. As for Dunnellon, their loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 16-3.
Bradford will take on The Villages Charter at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. The matchup should be an exciting one, as these teams are ranked near one another in Florida (The Villages Charter is ranked 188th, while Bradford is ranked 185th). As for Dunnellon, they will head out on the road to take on Lake Weir at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Lake Weir comes in still looking for their first win of the season.
