The Holmes County Blue Devils will challenge the Chipley Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday. Holmes County will be looking to extend their current ten-game winning streak.
Holmes County is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They enjoyed a cozy 56-40 victory over Ponce De Leon. Given the Blue Devils' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 38th, while the Pirates are ranked 217th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Emma Whitaker
| 02/06/25 vs Ponce De Leon | 18 |
| 01/31/25 vs Freeport | 25 |
| 01/28/25 @ Sneads | 22 |
| 01/27/25 @ Choctawhatchee | 17 |
| 01/17/25 vs Chipley | 20 |
| + 2 more games |
It was another big night for Emma Whitaker, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 13 rebounds. Her evening made it seven games in a row in which she has scored at least 17 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jacee Bowers, who posted ten points and four steals.
Meanwhile, Chipley hadn't done well against Graceville recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. Chipley walked away with a 51-42 win over Graceville. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Chipley.
Chipley found their leader in sophomore Niyonah Garner, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and ten boards. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Garner has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Addyson Suggs, who had ten points.
Chipley smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive matchups.
Holmes County's victory bumped their record up to 22-2. As for Chipley, their win bumped their record up to 16-7.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Holmes County has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 28.6 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Chipley struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Holmes County against Chipley when the teams last played back in January, as the squad secured a 69-25 victory. In that contest, Holmes County amassed a halftime lead of 42-16, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Saturday.
