The Haines City Hornets will challenge the Venice Indians at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. One thing working in Haines City's favor is that they have posted at least 55 points in their last 12 contests.
Haines City is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They blew past Sumner 67-30. The Hornets have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 14 matchups by 20 points or more this season.
Zebrielle Canaday
| 02/13/25 vs Sumner | 60% |
| 02/06/25 vs Celebration | 31% |
| 02/04/25 vs Davenport | 20% |
| 02/01/25 @ Seffner Christian | 29% |
| 01/17/25 vs North Florida Educational Institute | 33% |
| + 15 more games |
Haines City's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Zebrielle Canaday led the charge by going 9-for-15 to rack up 18 points in addition to seven assists and six steals. What's more, Canaday also posted a 60% field goal percentage, which is the highest she's achieved since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Delyana Morris, who went 6-for-10 en route to 17 points.
Haines City smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 15 offensive rebounds in four consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Venice entered their tilt with Palm Harbor University on Thursday with eight consecutive wins , and they'll enter their next game with nine. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Hurricanes 61-19. Given the Indians' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 32nd, while the Hurricanes are ranked 150th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Venice's win came from a few key players Haines City will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Tessa Oleary, who went 9-for-13 on her way to 20 points along with seven boards and three steals. The contest was her seventh in a row with at least 15 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Addison Ivery, who posted ten points in addition to eight steals and seven assists.
Haines City's record now sits at 21-5. As for Venice, their record now sits at 18-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Haines City has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.1 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Venice struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Haines City ended up a good deal behind Venice in their previous meeting back in February of 2024, losing 56-40. Can Haines City avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
