Basketball Game Preview: Pine Crest Panthers vs. Benjamin Buccaneers

Pine Crest hasn't had much luck against Benjamin recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Panthers will look to defend their home court against the Buccaneers at 5:00 p.m.

After dropping their season opener at home, Benjamin is headed out to face a Panthers squad ready to give their home crowd a win. Pine Crest took a 44-39 hit to the loss column at the hands of American Heritage on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Benjamin's game on Wednesday was all tied up 19-19 at the half, but luckily for them it didn't stay that way. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 41-38 victory over Jupiter Christian.

Benjamin's win came from a few key players Pine Crest will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kinzie Bunting, who almost dropped a double-double with 12 points and nine boards. Those nine rebounds gave her a new career-high. Another player making a difference was CJ Smith, who posted eight points in addition to 15 boards and three steals.

Everything came up roses for Pine Crest against Benjamin when the teams last played back in November of 2023, as the team secured a 64-34 win. Will the Panthers repeat their success, or do the Buccaneers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.