Braden River boys basketball downs Lakewood Ranch 65-45

Braden River High beat Lakewood Ranch 65-45 on Tuesday night.

The Pirates, who had lost to Lakewood Ranch 78-67 on Dec. 10, improved to 8-12 on the season with the victory. Lakewood Ranch fell to 3-16. 

Braden River dominated the game from the opening tip, overwhelming Lakewood Ranch with a combination of athleticism and shooting touch. Sophomore guard Anquan Polynice, who averaged 14.7 points per game entering the contest, caught fire from beyond the arc early on, draining three 3-pointers in the first quarter. 

Junior forward Dean Carothers, who tied fellow junior Quentin Smith with a team-high five rebounds, added four points in the first quarter. By the end of the first quarter, Braden River led 17-6.

Pirates’ sophomore guard Jerrod Long connected on a pair of 3-pointers in the second quarter. Braden River led 34-14 at halftime.

Lakewood Ranch senior guard Liam Scalzo connected on four 3-pointers in the third quarter. Sophomore forward Bogdan Godlevsky chipped in four points in the third quarter for the Mustangs. 

Scalzo and Godlevsky led the Mustangs in scoring, with 17 points and 13 points, respectively. Junior forward Caua Magno de Almeida led Lakewood Ranch in rebounds with five. 

Long stayed hot for the Pirates in the third quarter, scoring nine of his team-leading 17 points. Carothers added eight of his own in the third, finishing the night with 12 points. 

Polynice added four points in the fourth quarter to bring his total to 17. Braden River pulled its starters with six minutes left in the game. 

Braden River will travel to Riverview High to face the Rams (10-10) on Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Lakewood Ranch will next host Booker High (9-10) on Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m.