Basketball Game Preview: Tavares Bulldogs vs. Eustis Panthers

Tavares is 0-10 against Eustis since December of 2016 but things could change on Friday. The Tavares Bulldogs will square off against the Eustis Panthers at 7:30 p.m. Tavares will be looking to extend their current six-game winning streak.

Tavares is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Wednesday. They snuck past Hernando with a 49-43 win.

Meanwhile, Eustis took their contest on Wednesday with ease, bagging a 61-16 victory over Mount Dora. That looming 61-16 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Panthers yet this season.

Eustis' win came from a few key players Tavares will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Cornelius Hines, who went 6 of 8 on his way to 14 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Andrew Riley, who went 5 for 6 en route to 11 points.

Eustis smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.

Tavares is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten matchups, which provided a massive bump to their 14-9 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.8 points per game. As for Eustis, their win bumped their record up to 17-8.

Tavares was taken down by Eustis 82-22 when the teams last played back in January of 2023. Thankfully for Tavares, Jayveon Dale (who went 13 of 18 on his way to 32 points) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.