BY GENE NARDI
On Thursday, Jan. 15, the Palm Beach Central High School girls basketball team hosted Seminole Ridge High School and bested the Hawks 54-11.
The seventh-ranked Lady Broncos jumped out to a 15-4 lead in the first quarter. It was a lead that they never gave up.
The Palm Beach Central offense proved too much for the Seminole Ridge defense. In addition, the Broncos tallied 22 rebounds to the Hawks’ six and capitalized on them, striking the net with surgical-like accuracy, including a total of five three-pointers.
Palm Beach Central totaled 16 points in the second period, limiting the Hawks to just seven points, entering the break with a commanding 31-7 advantage.
Palm Beach Central closed out the third period 49-8, maintaining a stingy defense to limit the Hawks nearly the whole game to a single-digit score. Seminole Ridge, however, erased that stat by adding three fourth-period points to slightly close the gap, then Palm Beach Central added a couple of three-pointers of its own.
The Hawk defense stepped up their play in the fourth quarter, but it was too late to rally, and the Broncos took the contest 54-11 in convincing fashion.
The Hawks fell to 5-12 on the season, while Palm Beach Central improved to 14-4.
Brooke Steinbauer put up 18 points for the Broncos. Daijah Brown is credited with 13 points and 12 rebounds. Brianna Solis and Hanna Hernandez each had a three-point goal for the Hawks.
ABOVE: Bronco Sydney Jones finds a lane and moves toward the basket.
