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P.K. Yonge boys’ basketball suffers heartbreaking loss, falling to Gainesville 66-64

Michael Kennedy February 5, 2020 Basketball, Gainesville, Gainesville High School, High School Sports, PK Yonge High School 800 Views

The P.K. Yonge boys’ basketball team is starting to make a habit of losing close games, as Tuesday’s 66-64 loss to Gainesville became their eighth loss by single digits out of 12 total. It was also their second two-point loss to Gainesville of the season, having dropped the first 65-63 on Dec. 6.

Wild back-and-forth fourth quarter

After the game almost got out of hand from P.K. Yonge in the third quarter, it was a back-and-forth affair between both teams in the fourth. Once the Blue Wave cut the lead down to 55-52, the teams traded scores for the remainder of the period, always staying a one-score game.

Blue Wave guard Adrian Bloodworth hit a three-pointer to put them ahead 56-55, their first lead of the game since 8-6 in the first quarter. After Gainesville answered back with a quick three-pointer to go ahead 58-56, Deontae Mavin went to work, scoring two back-to-back layups, with a Hurricanes free throw in between.

Once again this P.K. Yonge score was answered by Gainesville, but the Blue Wave had a response for themselves. This time it was in the form of a three-pointer by Adrian Bloodworth, his fourth of the night.

Alas, this would be P.K. Yonge’s last lead of the night. After Gainesville converted an and-one to go up 64-63, Bloodworth had a chance to give his team the lead at the line, but he only made one of two free throws. Gainesville received the ball with 14.3 seconds remaining, but promptly turned it over.

P.K. Yonge seemed poised to either win the game or at least take it to overtime, receiving the ball with 8.0 seconds left at 64-64, but they also immediately turned the ball over.

The inbound pass was intercepted and Kinzon Hutchinson easily put it in the basket to put the Hurricanes up 66-64. Bloodworth’s desperation heave was no good, and the Blue Wave fell to the disbelief of the home crowd.

“I drew up an opportunity for one of our guards, either Adrian (Bloodworth) or Greg (Maxwell) to get the ball and push it,” head coach Boderick Johnson said on the final play. “I set my two best shooters who had been hitting all night, Diontae Mavin and Danny Dawson, on the wings so that they penetrated and kicked out to take the last shot.”

First three quarters

The first two quarters of the game played out much like the final period did. An initial 5-0 P.K. Yonge lead was the only time in the first quarter that the game was a two-score game. It was a tied game 12-12 after one.

The second quarter was much of the same until Gainesville hit a near half-court shot at the buzzer to give the Hurricanes a 33-27 lead going into the break.

The third quarter is where things almost unraveled for the Blue Wave. The momentum from that buzzer beater carried over into the second half, as Gainesville went up 41-30 a couple minutes into the half, thanks to a 14-3 run.

Johnson prides his team on their toughness, however. They were able to tie up the game before quarter’s end at 45 apiece before going into the fourth down 48-45.

“The fight and resiliency we showed is the best positive to come from this game,” Johnson said. “Showing that once they locked in on defense, good things can happen.”

Star players step it up

P.K. Yonge’s star players played well despite the loss.

After going scoreless in the first half, Adrian Bloodworth willed his team back in the second putting up 17 points and four threes to lead all scorers.

Danny Dawson did most of his scoring in the first half on the other hand. He put up 10 of his 12 points in the first half, hitting two three-pointers and shooting 5 for 9 from the field.

Christian Norman and Deontae Mavin each scored 13 points for P.K. Yonge. Mavin scored nine of those in the final period, shooting 5/6 from the floor. Aaron Small (5), Greg Maxwell (2) and Josiah Dye (2) also all contributed to the scoring.

Moving forward

With the loss, P.K. Yonge falls back to .500 on the season, sitting at 12-12 with one regular season game left to play: home to 5-17 Buchholz Thursday.

Gainesville moves to 13-11 with the win. Their final regular season game is against 16-7 Eastside at Santa Fe College.

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