The Venice Indians will face off against the Haines City Hornets at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Venice comes in on nine and Haines City on 13.
Venice is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They claimed a resounding 61-19 victory over Palm Harbor University. That 42 point margin sets a new team best for the Indians this season.
Tessa Oleary
| 02/13/25 vs Palm Harbor University | 20 |
| 02/08/25 vs Riverview Sarasota | 21 |
| 02/06/25 vs North Port | 19 |
| 01/29/25 @ IMG Academy Blue | 15 |
| 01/20/25 vs Lemon Bay | 28 |
| + 2 more games |
Venice's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tessa Oleary, who went 9-for-13 to rack up 20 points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals. The contest was Oleary's seventh in a row with at least 15 points. Another player making a difference was Addison Ivery, who posted ten points along with eight steals and seven assists.
Meanwhile, Haines City took their match on Thursday with ease, bagging a 67-30 victory over Sumner. The Hornets have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 14 games by 20 points or more this season.
Haines City's win came from a few key players Venice will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Zebrielle Canaday, who went 9-for-15 en route to 18 points in addition to seven assists and six steals. What's more, she also posted a 60% shooting accuracy, which is the highest she's achieved since back in December of 2024. Delyana Morris was another key player, going 6-for-10 on her way to 17 points.
Haines City smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 15 offensive boards in four consecutive contests.
Haines City's win bumped their record up to 21-5. As for Venice, their victory bumped their record up to 18-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Venice has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 28.8 boards per game. However, it's not like Haines City struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.1 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Venice strolled past Haines City in their previous meeting back in February of 2024 by a score of 56-40. Will Venice repeat their success, or does Haines City have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
