Palmetto is 0-10 against Southridge since December of 2015 but things could change on Monday. The Palmetto Panthers will venture away from home to take on the Southridge Spartans at 5:00 p.m. Palmetto has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.
Last Wednesday, Palmetto strolled past South Dade with points to spare, taking the game 53-36.
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Palmetto to victory, but perhaps none more so than Bianca Pacheco, who posted 17 points and six assists. Alessandra Falcon was another key player, putting up 12 points along with six rebounds and five steals.
Pacheco wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Palmetto was working as a unit and finished the game with 13 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as South Dade only posted seven assists.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Southridge, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Wednesday. They breezed by Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart to the tune of 76-16 on Friday. That 60 point margin sets a new team best for the Spartans this season.
Southridge's win came from a few key players Palmetto will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Naya Hardisson, who dropped a double-double on 21 points and ten assists. Her evening made it six games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Dianka Hardisson, who went 8 of 12 on her way to 24 points in addition to six boards and three steals.
Palmetto is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 5-4 record this season. As for Southridge, they now have a winning record of 8-7.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Palmetto has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 24.1 boards per game. However, it's not like Southridge struggles in that department as they've been averaging 32.5 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Palmetto suffered a grim 58-37 defeat to Southridge in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. Can Palmetto avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
