SC starters get break against Hobbton

By News-Argus Staff
Published in Sports on February 7, 2014 1:48 PM

• Print
• Email

kfine@newsargus.com

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek's starting five doesn't typically watch the fourth quarter of Carolina 1-A Conference games from the bench.

A 30-point lead after three quarters of play led to the unusual perk during a 67-40 victory over winless Hobbton on Thursday evening. The quintet got a chance to rest heading into tonight's "physical" matchup against county foe Rosewood.

The Gators won the battle of the boards 45-13. Jordan Hicks had 10 rebounds at halftime. Spring Creek created a half-dozen turnovers and converted in transition.

And 11 of the team's 15 players scored, including Brandon Gonzalez, who made nearly every shot he took on his way to a game-high 25 points in less than 20 minutes on the court.

"My teammates got me involved," Gonzalez said. "So I was feeling pretty confident."

He wasn't the only one.

Hicks added two boards in the second half to finish the game with 12 rebounds and eight points. Gary Williams had three steals to go along with a 10-point performance.

Even the team's head coach, Taylor Jones, left the gym feeling good.

"This was the best we've looked. You know, we haven't played a 32-minute ballgame yet ... but I was proud of our starting group," Taylor said. "I thought they set a tone from the very beginning."

Spring Creek's effort gave Jones the ability to rest his starting five for the majority of the second half -- a strategy he hopes will pay dividends tonight.

"I expect it to be a ballgame," Taylor said. "It's gonna be physical. It's gonna be tough."

But if the Spring Creek student body provides the "hostile" environment he is counting on -- and his team shoots and rebounds like they did against the Wildcats -- they might just have what it takes to propel themselves into the top half of the conference standings with only a few games remaining in the regular season.

Taja Gray led Hobbton with nine points.