Preps

Gulf gets second victory

NEW PORT RICHEY -- The Gulf girls won Tuesday night, and it was no fluke.

The Bucs, who went 0-23 last season, won convincingly.

Gulf jumped a struggling Wesley Chapel team, winning 59-47 to end an 11-game losing skid. Of the Bucs' two victories this season, this one is by far the most impressive.

"This is a huge win for us," coach Ed Newton said. "We got our first win in a long time earlier in the season. We had a long dry spell in that game. It was tough to rebound in our confidence after a while."

Gulf led 12-9 in the first quarter but broke down in the second, falling behind 26-20. In the locker room, Newton got the team going again.

"We had a great discussion at halftime," he said. "We came out and put 27 on the board in the third quarter, which for us offensively was a milestone.

"We struggled offensively pretty much throughout the season. With the exception of a few small bursts, we never put up those kinds of numbers, so it was nice.

"The kids responded to our halftime talk and came out determined to get the job done, which we did."

What the Bucs (2-13) did was finally start turning back the Wildcats' press and get the ball inbounds without turning it over. That 27-8 run in the third sealed the win, though the Wildcats (5-15) fought back 15-12 in the fourth.

Freshman center Tiara Cook scored a team- and season-high 24 points. Power forward Nicole Allison had 16 and Alicia Cross scored all nine of her points in the pivotal third.

THANK YOU, SIR: Gulf boys coach Steve Feldman calls the Bucs' current five-game stretch his very own "Murder's Row." Look at the lineup: at Mitchell on Jan. 21, Ridgewood on Jan. 24, at Wesley Chapel on Tuesday, Wesley Chapel again Feb. 5 and Mitchell again Feb. 7.

It's no surprise that Gulf (12-10) is mired in a three-game losing streak, the most recent setback an 83-52 loss to Wesley Chapel on Tuesday. Not that Feldman is eager for the Feb. 5 rematch, which reminds him of a line from the movie Animal House.

"Ever hear that line, "Thank you sir, may I have another?' " Feldman said. "Well, in (a few) days, I get another."

OUT FOR GOOD: Land O'Lakes girls coach Greg Robinson doesn't expect sophomore center Brittany Hibbard to return from a dislocated left kneecap suffered in a Jan. 21 win over Wesley Chapel.

At 6-foot-1, Hibbard was part of a strong Gators frontcourt, but Robinson said he doubts she will be able to make it back from the injury with the Class 4A, District 8 tournament rapidly approaching Feb. 11.

Robinson likes to keep at least 10 on the varsity, a backup for every starter, and has moved 6-1 junior Jessica Sisk up from the junior varsity to replace Hibbard, who was Erika Cagle's backup.

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