Basketball Recap: Land O' Lakes Comes Up Short

Land O' Lakes was not able to break out of their rough patch on Tuesday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were six points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 57-51 heartbreaker at the hands of the Cypress Creek Coyotes . While the Gators didn't get the win, they did start the game off strong, beating the Coyotes 16-8 in the first quarter.

Despite the defeat, Land O' Lakes saw an underclassman step up: freshman Jessi Saffold almost dropped a triple-double on 19 points, 13 rebounds, 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. The team also got some help courtesy of Julia Foster, who posted seven points in addition to nine boards and five assists.

Even though they lost, Land O' Lakes smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in five consecutive matchups.

Cypress Creek got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ameeya Steadham out in front who almost dropped a double-double on 25 points and nine rebounds. Steadham continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Deslynn Nickell was another key player, going 8 of 13 en route to 16 points along with seven steals and five boards.

Land O' Lakes' loss dropped their record down to 9-13. As for Cypress Creek, the win made it two in a row for them and bumps their season record up to 10-11.

Both are set to take part in some playoff action in their next matches. Land O' Lakes will take on Wiregrass Ranch on Tuesday. As for Cypress Creek, they will square off against Mitchell at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Mitchell will roll in looking for their fifth straight victory, something Cypress Creek surely won't give up without a fight.