Gators avenge double-OT loss against Bulldogs

By Cam Ellis
Published in Sports on February 4, 2015 1:48 PM

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cellis@newsargus.com

SEVEN SPRINGS -- Spring Creek wanted revenge.

With the memory last week's double-overtime loss still fresh in their minds, the Gators played with intensity and defeated Princeton, 59-53, in Carolina 1-A Conference play Tuesday evening.

Trey Hammonds led Spring Creek with a game-high 18 points, including seven in the fourth quarter. His back-to-back traditional three-point plays with less than a minute remaining sealed the outcome.

Brandon Gonzalez added 16 points.

The duo bothered the Bulldogs' defense all night, getting into the lanes and either finishing at the rim or kicking it out for open shots.

"We're quick," Hammonds said. "So we like to use that to our advantage."

Even with the Gators jumping out to a 14-6 first quarter advantage, the team let Princeton stick around through halftime. After an "unhappy" talk in the locker room, the Gators turned up the intensity and tempo which led to their best offensive and defensive quarter of the game.

"I think that the way they play -- we did it last time, we did it this time -- that they try to feel the game out in the first half," Jones said. "That's okay, but you can get a feel for the game by attacking. The biggest difference was that (in the first half) I didn't think that our other guys ran with Trey in transition."

Gonzalez engineered the third-quarter outburst with 11 points. He attacked the basket and found success around the rim.

"I just think it was a mindset thing," Jones said. "Sometimes we forget that these guys are teenagers and they try so hard to listen to what coach says. I keep telling him that 'people are not oblivious to how good you are.'"

Michael Wooten had a team-high 15 points for the Bulldogs. Tanner Woodard and Earl Gibson Jr. each added 10 points.

"(Spring Creek) is a good team," Princeton coach Jeff Davis said. "It's not like we lost a close game to someone that we're way better than. We missed free throws tonight and we didn't play as well offensively. We were forcing things and not being patient."

Spring Creek travels to Rosewood on Friday.

"It's exciting," Hammonds said. "But I mean ... every game is big. Every game is big."

Jones agreed.

"At this point in the season, every game is important," he said. "I know it's a rivalry game. Our guys will be up for Rosewood, but hopefully not too up. I want them to be calm and I want them to play poised. If they do that, I feel really good about the chance that we have."