Basketball Game Preview: Manatee Hurricanes vs. Seminole Warhawks

The Manatee Hurricanes will square off against the Seminole Warhawks at 8:00 p.m. on Monday. Both are strolling into their games after big wins in their previous games.

Last Thursday, Manatee humbled Braden River with a 53-17 victory. The Hurricanes have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matchups by 23 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Seminole can bid farewell to their five-game losing streak thanks to their game on Friday. They claimed a resounding 61-12 win over Lakeside Christian. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 46-6.

Seminole's win came from a few key players Manatee will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Riley Turknett, who posted 17 points in addition to eight steals and five assists. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last three games she's played. Aubrey Close was another key player, dropping a double-double on 15 points and ten steals.

Seminole smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 26 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in ten consecutive games.

Manatee has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 12-8 record this season. As for Seminole, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 10-12.

Manatee skirted past Seminole 38-36 in their previous meeting back in January of 2024. The rematch might be a little tougher for Manatee since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.