The Land O' Lakes Gators will face off against the Wiregrass Ranch Bulls at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Thursday, Land O' Lakes was able to grind out a solid victory over East Lake, taking the game 48-36. The win made it back-to-back victories for the Gators.
| 01/16/25 @ East Lake | 9 |
| 01/13/25 vs Angeline Academy of Innovation | 7 |
| 01/09/25 @ River Ridge | 9 |
| 01/07/25 vs Sunlake | 6 |
| 01/04/25 vs Lecanto | 10 |
Land O' Lakes got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Jessi Saffold out in front who almost dropped a double-double on ten points and nine 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 Alex Nichols, who posted 19 points.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Wiregrass Ranch). They breezed by Pasco to the tune of 61-23 on Tuesday. Given the Bulls' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 321st, while the Pirates are ranked 661st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Wiregrass Ranch's win came from a few key players Land O' Lakes will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Andralee Keim, who went 6 of 11 from beyond the arc on her way to 21 points in addition to five assists and five rebounds. She continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last five games she's played. Anabella Nieves was another key player, going 5 for 9 en route to 14 points and seven assists.
Wiregrass Ranch was working as a unit and finished the game with 20 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Wiregrass Ranch now has a winning record of 8-7. As for Land O' Lakes, their victory bumped their record up to 9-10.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Land O' Lakes has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 34.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Wiregrass Ranch struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Land O' Lakes was able to grind out a solid win over Wiregrass Ranch when the teams last played back in December of 2023, winning 51-43. One of the biggest obstacles trying to stand in the way of that victory was Wiregrass Ranch's Solei Sowell, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and 18 rebounds. Now that she won't be playing on Tuesday, will it be easier for Land O' Lakes to walk away with another win? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
