High School Hoops Recap: Gainesville takes down Hawthorne boys basketball in thriller
BY CLIFF TUMETEL
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The Gainesville boys basketball team defeated Hawthorne, 66-61, at the Purple Palace on Wednesday night. The Hurricanes held off the Hornets and pulled through, getting their eighth win of the season.
Hurricanes Raining 3s
Gainesville quickly jumped out the gate against Hawthorne and caught fire on the three-point line, as many players such as Gainesville’s Anthony Leivonen and Willie Brooks knocked them down.
At the end of the first quarter, Gainesville was up 22-8; the team as a whole nailed five 3s.
Hornets Swarming Back
Hawthorne had stumbled in the first quarter but gradually began to find their footing. They weathered the early storm and began to climb back into the game. Hawthorne’s CJ Ingram scored a three to spark a surge with his team, and they did just that, as Leland Johnson and Caleb Rollerson scored to cut the lead.
At the end of the first half, Gainesville was up, 34-25.
Hornets catch fire in the third
The Hornets carried the momentum into the third quarter, with Johnson picking up from where he left off and catching fire in the third, hitting two 3s while Dacarion Debose scored seven points in the third.
The Hornets were finally able to tie it up at the 3:11 mark when Ingram made a free throw to even the score, 38-38.
The Hornets seemed to have all of the momentum going their way as Ingram slammed one home and was able to get a steal for another dunk. That sequence put the Hornets up, 44-41.
He wasn’t done yet; near the end of the third, he drove in for a layup and found himself with an and-one as well to increase the lead to 47-41.
But that all changed when Hurricane’s Cornelius White nailed a shot… from the other side of the court to end the third! The score was Hornets, 47-44.
Fourth Quarter Classic
After White’s amazing shot, he rode that momentum into the fourth as he led the team in the fourth quarter in scoring and did his damage inside.
The two teams battled all the way through the final quarter, and it came down to the wire.
With the score tied 61-61, Gainesville had possession, and as the clock wound down to the final 15 seconds, it was only fitting that White was the one to deliver; he scored and drew a foul as well. He knocked down his free throw to put his team up 64-61. White scored 11 points in the fourth quarter.
The Hornets had a chance to tie up the game again, but couldn’t knock down the three.
Words from Gainesville’s head coach: Mike Barnes
The huge shot by Cornelius White at the end of the third shook the entire Purple Palace, and head coach Mike Barnes said it gave his team new energy.
Barnes said the Canes may not have won if White hadn’t made the shot because “things were really down in here, but it was just… I don’t know, [a] luck shot but it went in.” Barnes added with a smile, “I’d like to say he practices it all the time, but he doesn’t.”
While the shot provided the spark, Barnes said it was the effort on getting the ball inside more that helped the team get the win.
“We have a lot of size on this team, we’re still trying to figure things out, it’s a whole new group from last year. We’re figuring out ways to win, and I’m glad we were able to figure it out tonight.” Barnes told Alachua Chronicle.
Barnes said it’s been a real struggle recently for his team so far in the season, but he is proud of the way his guys stuck through the night, especially against a team like Hawthorne.
“It’s a big-time win. Hawthorne is a really good team,” Barnes said. “They’ll be down there for States, I’m sure, and it’s a good win for us.”