If the Hillsborough Terriers were riding high off their 71-36 takedown of the Middleton Tigers last Friday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. Hillsborough took a 55-51 hit to the loss column at the hands of Wharton. While losing is never fun, Hillsborough can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 220th, while Wharton is ranked 74th).
Several Terriers players turned in solid performances, despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Jojo Cruz-Smartt, who scored 14 points. Another player making a difference was Deana Epps , who scored 12 points.
Wharton's win on Tuesday was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Tamara Bryant, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and 13 rebounds. Those 13 rebounds set a new season-high mark for Bryant. Nina Green was another key contributor, scoring 19 points along with six rebounds and five steals.
Hillsborough's defeat dropped their record down to 3-3. As for Wharton, they pushed their record up to 7-0 with that victory, which was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season.
Hillsborough will be home for the holidays to greet Tampa Bay Tech at 8:00 p.m. on Friday. Tampa Bay Tech will be looking to extend their current four-game winning streak. Wharton won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Leto at 8:00 p.m. on December 13th. That game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Lizbeth Rivera and Green.
