Basketball Game Preview: Pine Crest Panthers vs. North Broward Prep Eagles

The Pine Crest Panthers will be taking part in a tournament against the North Broward Prep Eagles at 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

North Broward Prep better have a healthy lead at halftime, because if last week is any indication, that's when Pine Crest really get things going. Pine Crest really took it to Don Soffer Aventura for the full four quarters, racking up an 81-45 victory. The Panthers have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 20 points or more this season.

Rowan Hoffman

Rebounds

01/16/25 vs Don Soffer Aventura	19
01/15/25 @ Coral Springs Charter	13
01/13/25 @ Sports Leadership & Management	17
01/10/25 vs American Heritage	15
01/09/25 vs West Boca Raton	15

It was another big night for Rowan Hoffman, who dropped a triple-double on 29 points, 19 rebounds, and 11 assists. Hoffman is crushing it when it comes to boards: he's pulled down at least eight every time he's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Ethan Mott, who posted 23 points and seven rebounds.

Hoffman wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Pine Crest was working as a unit and finished the game with 17 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.

Meanwhile, North Broward Prep waltzed into their matchup on Monday with two straight wins... but they left with three. They narrowly escaped with a win as the squad sidled past the Raiders 66-64. The victory was all the more spectacular given the Eagles' disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 120th, while the Raiders are ranked third).

Pine Crest's win was their sixth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 15-3. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 73.2 points per game. As for North Broward Prep, their victory bumped their record up to 10-11.

Pine Crest was dealt a bruising 78-29 defeat at the hands of North Broward Prep in their previous meeting back in December of 2023. Can Pine Crest avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.