Mike Ridaught
The Trenton and Hawthorne girls basketball teams are headed back to the Class 1A final four.
Last night at home, Trenton jumped out to a 19-5 lead in the opening quarter and cruised to a 58-44 win against Branford in an FHSAA Class 1A Region Final. Jordan Douglas scored eight of her 10 points in the first quarter and Bri Becker scored six of her game-high 25 points in the opening period to help give the Lady Tigers an early double-digit lead.
Trenton (23-4), the 2019 state champion, only allowed one point in the second quarter, building a commanding 31-6 lead at the half.
Becker just missed a triple-double, adding 14 rebounds and eight assists. She was one of three players in double figure points. Ta’Tyiana Jackson scored 11 points for the Lady Tigers, who advanced to their third final four appearance under head coach Bryant Frye in the past seven years.
Hawthorne won at second-ranked Wildwood, 47-29. The Hornets posted similar results as Trenton in the first half, taking a 31-7 lead into the half and cruising to their second straight final four appearance.
Trenton will play defending 1A state champion Hawthorne in the Class 1A state semifinals on Wednesday, February 24, at 8 p.m. at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland. It will be the first meeting of the season between Trenton and Hawthorne.
SOCCER – The P.K. Yonge girls soccer team stayed unbeaten with a 5-0 win against Wolfson (Jacksonville) in a Class 3A regional quarterfinal. The Lady Blue Wave (15-0-2), who were led by 8th-grader Faith Hardy’s hat trick, advanced to the regional semifinals for the fourth time in the past six seasons.
In other girls’ soccer playoff action, Eastside’s season ended with an 8-0 loss to Titusville, Bolles (Jacksonville) shutout Keystone Heights, 8-0, and Oak Hall edged Port St. Joe, 4-3.
WEDNESDAY HOOPS – The Buchholz girls basketball team was scheduled to host Navarre in the second round of the Class 6A state playoffs on Tuesday night. However, Navarre’s county canceled school due to weather and the game was postponed and changed to tonight at 7 p.m.
Buchholz is one of only two Alachua County teams remaining. The Lady Bobcats defeated Milton in last week’s regional quarterfinals for their first postseason win in eight years.
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