Basketball Game Preview: Bradford Tornadoes vs. Oakleaf Knights

Bradford hasn't had much luck against Oakleaf recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The Bradford Tornadoes will head out to face off against the Oakleaf Knights at 7:30 p.m. Bradford is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last seven games.

Last Tuesday, Bradford slipped by Palatka 65-64. Given the Tornadoes' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 236th, while the Panthers are ranked 502nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Bradford relied on the efforts of Jy'Quez Cason, who went 9 for 17 en route to 21 points in addition to eight rebounds and five assists, and Maliki Cobarris, who went 8 of 16 on his way to 20 points and eight assists. Cobarris' evening made it three games in a row in which he has scored at least ten points. Jordan Cason was another key player, putting up nine points and five boards.

Meanwhile, Oakleaf ended up a good deal behind Fleming Island on Friday and lost 84-66. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game on Tuesday (63), the Knights still had to take the loss.

Oakleaf's loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 13-5. As for Bradford, their victory was their third straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 11-2.

Things could have been worse for Bradford, but things could have been a whole lot better as they took a 65-46 loss to Oakleaf when the teams last played back in January of 2024. Can Bradford avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.