Christian Peterson
reporter.riverbendnews@gmail.com
On Saturday, Dec. 7, the Hornets hosted their rivals, the Branford Buccaneers, for two basketball showdowns. The evening first began with the girls' game at 6:30 p.m. The first quarter put the Hornets at the top of the scoreboard, as they scored 14 points, while the Buccaneers only scored nine. The second quarter had similar results, with the Hornets scoring 18 and the Buccaneers scoring 10. Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, the third quarter hurt them the most, as the Hornets scored 17 points compared to their four. In the fourth and final quarter, the Buccaneers finally took the advantage, but it was too late; they scored nine to the Hornets' six. The game ended in a victory for the Hornets, 55-32. Tristan Campbell was the star scorer for the Hornets that evening, sinking a total of 19 points. Close behind her, though, was the Buccaneers' Cloey Criggall with a total of 14 points. The Hornets excelled in most areas, however, the Buccaneers showed their prowess in assists. Specifically, Amyah James was able to get four assists, while the Hornets only had three in total. Both teams, however, proved that they knew how to get the ball back, with the Buccaneers having a total of 10 steals and the Hornets having a total of 12. The night wasn't over after the girls' game, as the boys' teams stepped onto the court. In the first quarter, the Buccaneers took the lead, scoring 20 points while the Hornets scored 15. The second quarter saw the Hornets take the lead back, scoring 18 points to the Buccaneers' 14. After halftime, the tight competition continued in the third quarter. The Hornets scored 15 points, and the Buccaneers scored 13. With only one point separating the two teams, the fourth and final quarter brought both teams to their limit. The Hornets prevailed, scoring 20 points to the Buccaneers' 15 points, winning the game 68-62. Tywan Williamson was the high scorer for the Hornets, sinking a total of 24 points. Not too far behind him were Jordan Murphy with 15 points and Durand Driver with 13. Murphy and Williamson also stood out in their teamwork, with both having two assists. The next Buccaneers' boys home game will be on Thursday, Jan. 2, at 3:30 p.m. against the Interlachen Rams. The next Buccaneers’ girls home game will be on Thursday, Dec. 19, at 6 p.m. against the Hamilton County Trojans. The next Hornets’ boys home game will be on Monday, Jan. 13, at 6:30 p.m. against the Baker County Wildcats. Finally, the next Hornets’ girls home game will be on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 6:30 p.m. against the Fort White Indians.