Junior Rhyne Howard scored a game-high 25 points to lead Bradley Central’s Bearettes to a 63-53 victory over Flowery Branch (Ga.) on Saturday to nail down the Holiday Inn Express Thanksgiving basketball classic championship at Jim Smiddy Arena in Cleveland.
Howard, who had 11 points in Friday’s 82-15 win against David Crockett, was named the tournament’s most valuable player and was joined on the all-tourney team by teammates Halle Hughes and Emma Kate Brown.
The 6-foot-1 Howard, a smooth operating point guard, made 10 of 18 shots from the floor, including 3 of 7 from 3-point distance.
Hughes tossed in 18 points and Brown added 10 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, 13 on the defensive boards.
Taniyah Worth scored 21 points and claimed 11 rebounds for the Lady Falcons. Lexi Sengkhammee scored 20 points. The two Lady Falcons combined to make 16 of 31 shots.
Boxscore
Flowery Branch 12 15 10 16 – 53
Bradley Central 18 16 12 17 – 63
Flowery Branch (53) – Scott, Woodroffe 4, Lexi Sengkhammee 20, Taniyah Worth 21, Williams 1, Wysocki 7, Shaw, Murchinson.
Bradley Central (63) – Halle Hughes 18, Emma Kate Brown 10, Morgan 3, Rhyne Howard 25, McRee 2, Carter 4, Lombard 1.
3-Point Goals – Flowery Branch 7 (Sengkhammee 6, Worth 1), Bradley Central 6 (Howawrd 3, Hughes 1, Brown 1, Morgan 1).
(Contact Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com and on Twitter @larryfleming44)