Basketball Game Preview: Land O' Lakes Gators vs. Cypress Creek Coyotes

Land O' Lakes has gone 8-0 against Cypress Creek recently and they'll look to pad the win column further on Tuesday. The Land O' Lakes Gators will head out to challenge the Cypress Creek Coyotes at 7:00 p.m. That game will pit two of the most dominant guards against one another: Jessi Saffold and Deslynn Nickell.

Land O' Lakes is headed into the contest out to prove that what happened against Fivay on Wednesday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Land O' Lakes had to suffer through a 72-39 loss at the hands of Fivay. The Gators were down 45-24 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.

Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Saffold, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and ten steals. Saffold is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least five every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Julia Foster, who posted nine points and six boards.

Even though they lost, Land O' Lakes smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in four consecutive matchups.

Meanwhile, you can't lose the game if you win every quarter, and that was precisely Cypress Creek's strategy against Pasco on Monday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Cypress Creek blew Pasco out of the water with a 64-15 final score. The Coyotes have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven games by 20 points or more this season.

Land O' Lakes has also traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last nine contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 9-12 record this season. As for Cypress Creek, their win bumped their record up to 9-11.

Everything came up roses for Land O' Lakes against Cypress Creek in their previous meeting back in November of 2023, as the team secured a 77-36 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Land O' Lakes since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.