The Sonic Drive-In Player-of-the-Game for Thursday, January 24, is J’len Wilson of the Gainesville boys’ basketball team.
The senior led a balanced Hurricanes’ attack with 11 points as Gainesville finished a season sweep of District 4-7A rival Vanguard (Ocala) with a 61-41 romp at the Purple Palace on Thursday night.
The Hurricanes scored the first 10 points and never trailed as 11 players were in the scoring column for GHS.
The Hurricanes led 10-4 after the opening period but Vanguard got as close as four points in the second quarter. Wilson had a key three-point play to keep Gainesville in the lead at 21-15 going into the halftime break.
He added another three-point play and seven Hurricanes players scored in the third quarter as the ‘Canes outscored the Knights, 20-9, and extended their lead to 41-24 and cruised through the fourth quarter from there.
Another senior, Desmond Ridgeway, added nine points in the balanced scoring effort. The win was the fifth in six games for Gainesville and improved their record to 11-9 overall. They remain atop District 4-7A at 5-2 with one game left in district play next Tuesday at home against Columbia (Lake City).
Vanguard, which was led by senior Zykarius Harris with 13 points and junior Dez Overton-Dailey with 10 points, falls to 6-10 overall and 3-4 in league play.
Forest finished district play at 5-3 after Gainesville beat the Wildcats on their home court, 52-50, on Tuesday night. Columbia also has a chance at the top seed with two games remaining at Gainesville and at home against Vanguard on Saturday, Feb. 2.
Gainesville returns to action at home on Friday night against Santa Fe (Alachua). The Hurricanes lost at Santa Fe, 46-42, on January 8.
Vanguard is back home on Friday night for the first of two meetings in the final two weeks of the regular season against North Marion (Citra).
Every game The Prep Zone will recognize a Player-of-the-Game. The recipient receives a $10 gift certificate courtesy of Sonic Drive-In of Gainesville & Ocala.
