The Southridge Spartans will take on the North Miami Pioneers in a tournament on Friday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Southridge took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Wednesday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 50-19 win over North Miami Beach. Given the Spartans' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 40th, while the Chargers are ranked 211th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
| 01/22/25 vs North Miami Beach | 8 |
| 01/20/25 vs Creekside | 5 |
| 01/18/25 vs River Ridge | 3 |
| 01/13/25 vs Palmetto | 7 |
| 01/10/25 vs Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart | 5 |
Southridge got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Sakura Barnes out in front who went 8 of 10 on her way to 18 points along with eight boards and eight steals. Barnes is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least three every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Emily Jean-Glaude, who went 5 for 7 en route to 16 points in addition to eight rebounds and three steals.
Southridge was working as a unit and finished the game with 12 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as North Miami Beach only racked up one assist.
Meanwhile, everything went North Miami's way against Ferguson on Wednesday as North Miami made off with a 64-41 win.
Southridge better keep an eye on Jadore Hayes. She was instrumental in North Miami's win, dropping a double-double on 14 points and 30 boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Rayna Benoit, who went 6 of 12 on her way to 20 points.
North Miami has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 14-6 record this season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 25.2 points per game. As for Southridge, their victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-9.
Friday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Southridge has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 45.5% of their three-pointers per game. However, it's not like North Miami struggles in that department as they've made 40.6% of their threes this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
