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After a back and forth effort, the Santa Fe Raiders were able to edge the Gainesville Hurricanes in their home arena, 63-54.
Starting Off Right
The Raiders got off to a hot start behind the arc and never looked back. Within the first five minutes of the game, Santa Fe made two three-pointers, one by Dontrell Jenkins and another by Makhi Lewis.
Santa Fe junior Dontrell Jenkins leading the charge as the Raiders lead by 6 at the end of 1.
Santa Fe: 17
Gainesville: 11— Brett Unger (@Brettunger_) February 1, 2022
Keeping Up the Pace
The Raiders continued their momentum in their second quarter, outscoring the Hurricanes by four points. The spark of energy was initiated by sophomore Braylon Guyden, who had two three-pointers in the second quarter alone. With just 1:30 left to play in the first half, the Raiders held a safe twelve-point lead over Gainesville High.
Hurricanes Storming Back
After a long talk during halftime, Gainesville head coach Mike Barnes drew up a beautiful play to score the first two points of the half. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, sharpshooter Makhi Lewis immediately responded with a three-point shot to bring the lead back to double digits. When asked about what was the biggest factor in his team’s win, Makhi confidently gave his team props for the work they all put in on the rebounds.
“We played well as a team … we out rebounded them, got to the rim, and finished the game on the glass.”
Even after a crowd-roaring dunk by Santa Fe Junior Mason Brown at the end of quarter three, the story of the night remained the same: Gainesville just won’t go away.
Junior Mason Brown with a huge slam to put Santa Fe up 11 with 2 to go in the third quarter!
Santa Fe: 42
Gainesville: 31— Brett Unger (@Brettunger_) February 1, 2022
The Hurricanes once again came out hot, cutting the lead to seven just one minute into the final quarter. However, a quick three-pointer by Braylon Guyden and a layup by Dontrell Jenkins quickly put an end to the Hurricanes’ spark. The rest of the game was controlled exceptionally by the Raiders, as the lead never passed 7 again. The final score was 63-54, in favor of Santa Fe.
What Comes After This?
The Raiders’ next game comes on Feb. 1 against the Columbia Tigers. If they want to be victorious again, they will have to continue being on target behind the arc.
