The St. Petersburg Green Devils will head out to face off against the East Lake Eagles at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. St. Petersburg knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past 11 contests -- so hopefully East Lake likes a good challenge.
St. Petersburg fought the good fight in their overtime game against Lakewood last Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They took a 73-66 hit to the loss column at the hands of the Spartans. The Green Devils' loss signaled the end of their three-game winning streak.
Despite their defeat, St. Petersburg saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Julian Macon, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 16 rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. Emir Gainer was another key player, putting up 20 points along with seven boards and five steals.
Even though they lost, St. Petersburg smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 28 offensive boards. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, East Lake blew past Bay, posting a 71-40 victory. The Eagles have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six matches by 20 points or more this season.
St. Petersburg better keep an eye on Jordan Bryant. He was instrumental in East Lake's win, dropping a double-double on 23 points and ten rebounds. Bryant has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more blocks the last 12 times he's played. Andre Willis was another key player, going 6 of 12 on his way to 17 points.
St. Petersburg's loss dropped their record down to 6-5. As for East Lake, their win bumped their record up to 11-2.
Some high-performance offense is likely on the agenda as both are some of the highest scoring teams in the league. St. Petersburg hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having averaged 71.8 points per game. However, it's not like East Lake struggles in that department as they've been averaging 65.4 points. With both teams so easily able to put up points, the only question left is who can run the score up higher.
St. Petersburg lost to East Lake on the road by a decisive 72-56 margin in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. Can St. Petersburg avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
