Jarrett Gardner had a double-double in Suwannee's win against Hamilton County. 

LIVE OAK — The latest edition of the cross-river rivalry between Suwannee and Hamilton County was another classic. After nine lead changes and a great offensive display from both teams, the Bulldogs emerged with a 79-74 overtime victory at SHS. 

It was an important victory for the Bulldogs as they put a stop on two losing streaks. Suwannee entered Saturday on a four-game losing skid and also having lost six straight to the Trojans.

Box score

Suwannee 79, Hamilton County 74 

Hamilton	18	12	28	12	4	–	74
Suwannee	16	19	20	15	9	–	79

Suwannee – Jarrett Gardner 20, Tyrece Freeman 17, Kenneth Ivey 15, Matt Cupp 10, Brant Ulmer 8, Jay Campbell 4, Tyree Taylor 2, Jaylen Hankerson 3

Hamilton County – Tony Stockton 23, Nick McClain 21, Jhebari Martin 9, Dharan Hawkins 8, DeNandre Johnson 4, Jaylon Byrd 3, Keyshun Zanders 3, D Jones 3

      

“I think everybody comes to play for this game. It’s always been a great rivalry,” said Suwannee coach Jeremy Ulmer, whose team improved to 3-4 on the season and 2-0 in overtime games. 

“A good win. We needed that because we were on a downhill slide and our confidence was going down.”

Jarrett Gardner paced the Bulldogs with his tough play near the basket. He finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, both team-highs.

Gardner scored 13 points after halftime, most of his points coming in the paint and off of second-chance points. 

“It was something we were looking forward to. We’re so close to each other,” Gardner said of facing Hamilton County. “It was our time to win.”

Hamilton County (2-6), playing shorthanded with two starters out of action, outscored Suwannee 28-20 in the third quarter to take a 58-55 lead. Without Aderias Ealy and Jacariyon Houston, the outstanding duo of Tony Stockton and Nick McClain took on an even bigger role in the Trojans’ offense. 

But even with a combined 44 points from McClain and Stockton, and a slim lead heading into the fourth quarter, Hamilton County couldn’t continue its winning streak against Suwannee.

Missed free throws throughout the game and momentary lapses on defense proved costly for HCHS. 

“I felt like my guys gave a valiant effort,” said first-year Hamilton County coach Eugene Jones. “But we have to covert those free throws. “There were a couple breakdowns on defense and they got some easy buckets.”

Tyrece Freeman (17 points) and Kenneth Ivey (15 points) kept up their strong play for the Bulldogs while Matt Cupp provided a much-needed lift off the bench. Cupp, a guard, found ways to get position inside. 

He finished with 10 points and five rebounds, which included some important baskets in the second half when Suwannee was going through a dry spell.

Recognizing Bulldogs greats

Kevarrius Hayes, a 2015 Suwannee grad and current Florida Gators basketball player, was on hand for Saturday’s game. Wanting to recognize former Bulldogs who have signed basketball scholarships, the Suwannee High basketball program honored Hayes before tipoff with a poster of his accomplishments.   

Hayes was a three-time MVP at SHS. Now a senior at UF, he ranks second all-time in blocked shots in Gator history. 

UP NEXT

Both teams are back in action Tuesday. Suwannee hosts Wakulla while Hamilton County hosts Bell.