Basketball Game Preview: Oakleaf Knights vs. Bartram Trail Bears

Oakleaf and Bartram Trail are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2018, but not for long. The Oakleaf Knights will square off against the Bartram Trail Bears at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Oakleaf knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight matches -- so hopefully Bartram Trail likes a good challenge.

Oakleaf took a loss when they played away from home on Friday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Saturday. They put the hurt on Atlantic Coast with a sharp 59-38 win. Given the Knights' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 78th, while the Stingrays are ranked 434th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Bartram Trail has been a dominant force so far, but they're in the middle of a mini-slump at the moment. They came up short against Tocoi Creek on Friday, falling 60-39. The Bears were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 34-14.

Oakleaf will have to keep a close watch on Landon Geren and Bennett Michelsen, a pair of players who had a big impact on Bartram Trail's prior game. Geren posted ten points, while Michelsen had six points.

Oakleaf pushed their record up to 12-4 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 67.0 points per game. As for Bartram Trail, their loss dropped their record down to 11-5.

Oakleaf didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Bartram Trail when the teams last played back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 56-51 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Geren, who went 7 of 16 on his way to 21 points and six rebounds. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Oakleaf still be able to contain Geren? There's only one way to find out.