BRANFORD, Fla. — A ruthless full-court press led the Branford High girls basketball team to a home win against Aucilla Christian on Thursday. 

Branford had 30 steals — five steals coming from guard Kayla Desmartin, who also scored a game-high 19 points with three 3-pointers — and rolled to a 52-27 win.

Box score Girls

Branford 52, Aucilla Christian 27

Aucilla	4	4	9	10	–	27
Branford	17	16	13	6	–	52

Kayla Desmartin 19, Amber Hitt 10, Rene Root 8, Kyla Desmartin 8, Cera McElreath 6, Tori Suggs 1

 

Her twin sister Kyla Desmartin also had a big game. She knocked down a pair of 3-pointers and finished with eight points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists.  

“They both are playing at a really high level right now,” BHS coach Carla Suggs said of the sophomore guards. “And they’re really good defenders too.”

The Buccaneers started to build a big lead at the end of the first quarter, going on a 6-0 run in the final minute to take a 17-4 edge. They turned up the full-court pressure even more in the second quarter and went into halftime up 33-8. 

Tori Suggs was a major contributor on defense and in the press. Suggs, who was playing in just her third game of the season after a preseason ankle injury, only scored one point. But she finished with five steals.    

“Tori is back. She’s not real effective yet, but because she is playing we are able to press a little bit,” said Carla Suggs. “It allows us to do a few more things without the fear of someone fouling out.”

Even with Cera McElreath (six points, four assists) in foul trouble most of the game, BHS was able to continue pressing with Suggs in the lineup. 

Rene Root had a good all-around game with eight points, six steals and four assists. Amber Hitt went for 10 points, seven rebounds and two blocks. 

Branford has won four of its last five games and is now 9-3 on the season.   

Hot third-quarter shooting lifts Warriors past Bucs

BRANFORD — As Aucilla Christian and Branford both struggled to make shots a little more than halfway through Thursday’s boys game, it became clear the first team to make a few in a row was probably going to come away with the victory. 

The Warriors finally found the range in the third quarter.

Leading by five points at the beginning of the third quarter, they went on a 9-0 run — hitting three straight 3-pointers — and went on to a 45-35 victory. 

“When they went on that nine-point run — three straight 3’s — that really took us out,” said Branford coach John Blalock. “It was a devastating blow.

“I thought it was a close-matched game. I don’t think we shot the ball as well as we have the potential to shoot.”

Box score Boys

Aucilla Christian 45, Branford 35

Aucilla	13	8	14	10	–	45
Branford	14	3	9	9	–	35

Colton Leibold 10, Evan Dowdy 8, Carlos Martinez 7 Steven Danaher 5, Lakendrik Shonk 4, Clay Williams 1  

 

Branford, after struggling most of the night against Aucilla’s packed-in zone defense, fought back at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth quarter with some inspired play from Colton Leibold and Evan Dowdy. 

Leibold, who finished with 10 points, had two pretty assists as he dribbled down the baseline and passed to a cutting Lakendrik Shonk for back-to-back baskets near the end of the third quarter.  

“We’ve been working on that action,” Blalock said. “Getting him (Leibold) attacking on the baseline, it opens up that opposite corner shooter, and it also breaks down that 2-3 zone where we can roll a guy down and he can drop it off.”

Branford got within six points at 38-32 with four minutes left in the game, but couldn’t get any closer.

Dowdy finished with eight points, five coming in the second half. Carlos Martinez had seven points for Branford (4-8).