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The Gainesville High School boy’s basketball team beat Eastside 53-37 on Thursday. However, it was a much closer game than the score revealed. The Hurricanes looked to finish strong for their final regular season game and senior night. So, it was fitting that the seniors scored 51 of the Hurricane’s 53 points.
Strong Start
Senior Theo Stephens started the game off strong, scoring the team’s first 10 points within three minutes. He was just one factor in the Hurricane’s explosive offense that scored 23 points in the first quarter. Eastside started off slow offensively, giving the Hurricanes a 15-point lead after the first quarter.
Not So Fast
The game looked to be all but won for the Hurricanes after one quarter. But Eastside had other plans. They came out hot in the second quarter with a 12-0 scoring run thanks to several Hurricane turnovers. With 2 minutes remaining in the first half, Eastside cut down the Hurricane’s lead to 2 points.
The Hurricane’s hopes of winning on senior night were shrinking by the minute. However, seniors Jordan Bodie and Josh Hayes refused to give up. They combined to score 9 points in the final 2 minutes, giving the Hurricanes an 11-point lead after the first half.
Onto the Playoffs
From that point forward, the Hurricane’s lead was never in danger. Eastside managed to keep the game within striking distance until the final few minutes of the game. The Hurricanes scored the last seven points to make the final score 53-37.
Seniors Theo Stephens, Seth Childers, SJ Westbrook, Jordan Bodie, Josh Hayes and Vontrell Hankison combined for 51 points. This was the last regular season game for these seniors, but they’re not done yet. The Hurricanes look to keep their season alive on Wednesday with a game at home in the district playoffs.
