Preview: Centennial Eagles vs. Jensen Beach Falcons
The Centennial Eagles will be home for the holidays to greet the Jensen Beach Falcons at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Centennial is coming into the game hot, having won their last five games.
Last Wednesday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Centennial beat Vero Beach 44-39. Given Centennial's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 49th, while Vero Beach is ranked 222nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Centennial's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Jailyn Williams, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 13 rebounds. That makes it four consecutive games in which Williams has scored at least 25% of Centennial's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jakenzye McBride, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Jensen Beach struggled with offensive rebounds on Wednesday (Sebastian River had seven more) and sadly the final score reflected it. Jensen Beach fell to Sebastian River 52-47. Jensen Beach has now taken an 'L' in back-to-back games.
Despite the defeat, Jensen Beach had strong showings from Lizzie Fitzwater, who scored 23 points along with four steals, and Danielle Bell, who scored 11 points along with six rebounds and three steals. The contest was Fitzwater's fifth in a row with at least ten points.
Centennial pushed their record up to 5-1 with that win, which was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 58.0 points per game. As for Jensen Beach, their loss dropped their record down to 4-4.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Centennial have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 31.3 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Jensen Beach, though, as they've been averaging only 34.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Centennial came out on top in a nail-biter against Jensen Beach in their previous meeting back in November of 2022, sneaking past 45-42. Does Centennial have another victory up their sleeve, or will Jensen Beach turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
