The Hilliard Red Flashes waltzed into their matchup 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 113th, while Fernandina Beach is ranked 294th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Hilliard's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Kevin Thomas, 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. The team also got some help courtesy of CJ Hall, who scored 20 points along with nine rebounds.
Hilliard pushed their record up to 17-2 with that win, which was their 11th straight at home. Those victories 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 West Nassau at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
