To apply a saying from baseball to basketball, fans dig the long ball. And Laurel Hill fans were digging what they saw as the Hoboes hosted Baker in boys basketball on Tuesday.
Long balls were in abundance for Laurel Hill as the Hoboes hit 12 shots from 3-point range on their way to a 62-35 win over the Gators.
Trailing Laurel Hill 50-48 with 3.2 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Baker’s Lady Gators might not have needed a miracle, but they needed something close.
A Lady Hobo turnover on a 5-second call gave Baker the ball near mid-court. Lady Gator coach Chelsea Medley called a timeout and drew up a play that worked to perfection. McKenzie McGraw, who at that point had a team-leading 22 points, would get one more shot.
The Baker Lady Gator basketball team hosted a talent Jay squad on Monday facing an uphill battle for the opening tip.
The Lady Royals were bigger and more skilled at almost every position on the floor. So, what did Baker do?
North end neighbors from District 1-1A squared off in the Baker gym on Thursday night as the Lady Gators hosted rival Laurel Hill.
In a game that came down to the little things it was the Lady Hoboes pulling away with a 50-41 win.
At times on Tuesday night the only thing that seemed colder than the frigid temperatures gripping Northwest Florida was the shooting of Crestview’s boys basketball team.
The Bulldogs hosted Milton looking for the regular season sweep against the Panthers. But it was Milton getting revenge downing Crestview 55-48 as too many times the Bulldogs missed open shots.
When Natalie Toney got off to a fast start for the Crestview Lady Bulldogs in Friday’s game against Niceville there was hope in might be the home team’s night.
Toney scored six points in the first quarter as Crestview was up 11-9 at the end of the first quarter. But the sophomore sensation got into early foul trouble and spent a large part of the game on the bench.
The Crestview and Niceville boys basketball teams battled it out for four quarters and then some on Friday night in the Crestview High School gym.
Not content to play a regulation game, the Bulldogs and Eagles went to double overtime.
In recent years the boys basketball rivalry between Laurel Hill and Paxton has been fairly one-sided in favor of the Bobcats.
An improved Hobo team was hoping to get back on the winning side of the rivalry as they hosted their neighbors from Walton County on Thursday. Laurel Hill showed flashes that bodes well for the future. But at this time the Bobcats remain ahead of the curve.
The Laurel Hill Lady Hoboes are off to an impressive start this basketball season. They were 7-3 heading into Thursday game with Paxton.
Not only are the Lady Bobcats the biggest rival of Laurel Hill, year in and year out they are one of the top teams in the state.
Baker’s boys basketball season started 2024 the same way it ended 2023. With a win.
Powered by Andrae Jackson and Joshua Prows, the Gators slipped past Pensacola Christian Academy on Thursday night by a 56-54 score.
