Wolves Devour Hernando, 82-23

NEW PORT RICHEY - There are times during high school holiday basketball tournaments when a team that is struggling goes up against an opponent that is just so much better.
Friday afternoon at the 19th annual Hulton Ram Classic boys' basketball tournament at Ridgewood High, first-year Head Coach Chris Ridenour and his winless Hernando (0-14) ran into a buzz saw as Newsome beat the Leopards, 82-23.
In fact, the Wolves were so much better than Hernando that the Newsome starters only played in the first and third quarter and led 75-15 after three quarters.
Newsome outscored Hernando 28-8 in the opening quarter as it used a full-court press to create a bunch of turnovers that it turned into easy baskets. It was such a lop-sided game that Newsome's bench outscored Hernando starters, 40-17.
Things got so bad for the Leopards that for most of the first quarter, they only got to set up once or twice on the offensive end of the court.
"It's stuff that we're working on right now," said Ridenour Friday. "We put in a new offense about two weeks ago but their press is so good, we hardly got a chance to run our offense."
Joe Raga led the Wolves with 20 points Friday as he shot 10-of-12 from the floor in just two quarters of play. Trent Mackey added 15 points for Newsome while Dylan Fugate had 12 as the Wolves out-rebounded Hernando, 35-20.
Hernando was led by Lamon Neal with eight points and got five points from Shane Eikenberry.
"They are a good team and this is where we want to get our program, to the same level," Ridenour said.
Newsome 82, Hernando 23
HERN 8 6 1 8 -- 23
NEW 28 29 20 7 -- 82
HERNANDO (23) - Lamon 0 8-10 8, Byrd 2 0-0 4, Ford 0, Nelson 0, Eikenberry 2 0-0 5, Emerson 1 2-2 4, Steitz 1 0-0 2. Totals - 6 10-12 23.
NEWSOME (82) - Fugate 5 1-2 12, Hodges 2 2-3 6, Joyce 0, Raga 10 0-0 20, Shepard 2 0-0 4, Howell 4 1-2 9, Hulse 3 0-0 6, Mackey 6 0-0 15, Marin 1 2-2 4, Murphy 3 0-1 6. Totals - 36 6-10 82.
Three-point field goals - Eikenberry (HER); Mackey 3, Fugate (NEW).
Team fouls - HER 9; NEW 8.
Fouled out - None.
Technical fouls - None.
Records - Hernando (0-14), Newsome (11-2).