The Winter Haven Blue Devils will challenge the Bishop Kenny Crusaders at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Winter Haven is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 60.9 points per game this season.
Winter Haven was handed a heart-breaking three-point defeat in their last contest, but they sure didn't let that happen against Lakeland on Tuesday. The Blue Devils simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Dreadnaughts 76-32. With the Blue Devils ahead 40-17 at the half, the game was all but over already.
Serenity Hardy
| 01/20/26 @ Lakeland | 24 |
| 01/10/26 @ Lake Highland Prep | 15 |
| 01/03/26 vs Holy Innocents Episcopal | 17 |
| 01/02/26 vs Hebron Christian | 24 |
| 12/20/25 vs Creekside | 40 |
| + 16 more games |
Winter Haven had a senior duo take command as Quin'Nya Gray De Sanders almost dropped a double-double with 28 points and nine rebounds and Serenity Hardy dropped a double-double with 24 points and 11 boards. The matchup was Hardy's 21st in a row with at least 15 points. Alyse Mercredi was another key player, almost dropping a double-double with 15 points and nine boards.
Winter Haven smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 21 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 16 consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Bishop Kenny faced Bolles in a battle between two of the state's top teams on Thursday. The Crusaders fell 47-39 to the Bulldogs.
Winter Haven will need to focus on slowing down Shea Donovan, one of several Bishop Kenny players who made an impact when they last played. She posted 13 points and five rebounds. Another player making a difference was Makala DesJarlais, who earned seven points and 11 boards.
Bishop Kenny's loss ended a nine-game streak of away wins dating back to last season and brought them to 19-3. As for Winter Haven, they moved to 13-5 with that victory, which also ended their three-game losing streak.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Winter Haven has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bishop Kenny struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.1 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Winter Haven was able to grind out a solid win over Bishop Kenny in their previous matchup back in January of 2021, winning 77-66. Will the Blue Devils repeat their success, or do the Crusaders have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
