DeSoto County is 0-10 against Booker since January of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The DeSoto County Bulldogs will head out on the road to challenge the Booker Tornadoes at 7:00 p.m. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as DeSoto County comes in on six and Booker on nine.
DeSoto County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They secured a 57-51 W over Robinson. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 77th, while the Knights are ranked 205th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Yahri Tyler
| 02/18/25 vs Robinson | 25 |
| 02/13/25 vs Gulf | 30 |
| 02/08/25 vs Lemon Bay | 22 |
DeSoto County's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Yahri Tyler, who dropped a double-double with 25 points and ten rebounds, and Cherish Wiggins, who posted 15 points in addition to eight assists and six boards. Tyler's evening made it three games in a row in which she has scored at least 22 points. Another player making a difference was Whitley Barron, who put up nine points.
DeSoto County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 11 consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Booker took their match on Tuesday with ease, bagging a 61-20 win over Chamberlain. The Tornadoes have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 contests by 25 points or more this season.
DeSoto County better focus on containing Yvette Brown and Jsiyah Taylor as the pair were huge in Booker's win. Brown made all 7 shots she took racking up 15 points along with seven rebounds and four steals, while Taylor made all 7 shots she took to post 15 points and three steals. Brown is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in each of the last eight games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Marayah Stuart, who had ten points and six steals.
Booker pushed their record up to 19-6 with the victory, which was their seventh straight at home. Those victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 65.6 points over those games. As for DeSoto County, their record now sits at 21-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: DeSoto County has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.7 boards per game. However, it's not like Booker struggles in that department as they've been averaging 36.5 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
DeSoto County was dealt a bruising 60-32 loss at the hands of Booker when the teams last played back in January. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Stuart, who went 6-for-11 en route to 17 points and seven boards. Now that DeSoto County knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
