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The Bradford Tornadoes boy’s basketball team continued its winning ways in its District Tournament. In a game that looked a lot different from the 36-point blowout of less than a month ago, Bradford beat Newberry 59-43. Here some of the main reasons the Tornadoes were victorious.
Keys to the Tornadoes’ Victory
- Size Differential
- Senior Leadership
- Discipline
Size Differential
The tandem of Tornado big men, Jimtaz Curry, and Cam Douglas wreaked havoc on the boards and accounted for over one-third of the team’s points (Curry with 8 and Douglas with 12). Both men added a physical presence that eventually wore down the resilient Panthers.
Senior Leadership
Though they did not light up the offensive side of the ball last night, Bradford’s senior class did what needed to be done to get the win. From taking hard charges to running tirelessly on defense, this team won ugly and as the playoffs begin that trait may become more and more necessary against more talented foes especially when the team ends up trailing through the entire first half.
— Camron Lunn (@CamronLunn) February 13, 2019
Discipline
Though Bradford was designated as the home team for their tournament matchup, this title did not come with a home-court advantage. Newberry High showed up with support and energy for its team. This energy translated into an offensive outburst of 20 points from Newberry’s #0 Moore who went 4 for 5 from three. Bradford’s discipline shined through with its handling of the rowdy crowd and their neutralization of Newberry’s other offensive options (no other Panther scored over four points).
What’s Next
Bradford will now face the Fort White Indians in the district title game on Friday night with tipoff set at 8 p.m. This will be Fort White’s first appearance in the title game in five years and Bradford is looking for its fourth straight district title.
