Basketball Game Preview: Roosevelt Roughriders vs. Coolidge Colts

Roosevelt is on a five-game streak of home wins (dating back to last season), while Coolidge is on a seven-game streak of away wins (also dating back to last season): one of those streaks is about to end. The Roosevelt Roughriders will host the Coolidge Colts at 5:30 p.m. on Friday. Roosevelt's defense has only allowed 26.6 points per game this season, so Coolidge's offense will have their work cut out for them.

Roosevelt's usually-dominant defense will be looking to make up for Monday's struggle, when Space Coast offense got past them. Roosevelt was beaten by Space Coast 74-24 on Monday. The game marked the Roughriders' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Meanwhile, Coolidge's undefeated season came to an end after ten games on Saturday. Their2024 ended with a 60-43 loss against Kenwood. The loss put an end to the Colts' undefeated start to the season.

Roosevelt will have to contain Josslyn Derricott as she made an impact in Coolidge's last game. She dropped a double-double on 12 points and 15 boards. Derricott has been hot recently, having posted nine or more rebounds the last three times she's played. Marshea Fisher was another key player, putting up eight points along with six rebounds and four steals.

Even though they lost, Coolidge smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in ten consecutive matchups.

Roosevelt's defeat dropped their record down to 6-2. As for Coolidge, their loss was their first of the season and makes their record 10-1.

Roosevelt opened the new year with a less-than-successful 68-55 defeat to Coolidge. A big factor in that loss was the dominant performance of Derricott, who dropped a double-double on 24 points and 15 boards. Now that Roosevelt knows the damage she can cause, will they be able to stop her this time? There's only one way to find out.