Preview: Paxton Bobcats vs. Destin Sharks
Paxton is 5-0 against Destin since January of 2022, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. Having just played yesterday, the Paxton Bobcats will get right back to it and host the Destin Sharks at 7:15 p.m. on January 23rd. Paxton is coming into the game hot, having won their last five games.
On Monday, Paxton was able to grind out a solid win over Florala, taking the game 48-36.
Paxton had a senior duo take command as Noah Morgan scored 13 points along with nine rebounds and two steals and Collin Stewart dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds. Ryker Stokes was another key contributor, scoring six points.
Meanwhile, Destin put the finishing touches on their sixth blowout victory of the season on Monday. They breezed by Freeport on the road to the tune of 66-21. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest win Destin has posted since December 5, 2023.
Destin's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Tyler Flynt led the charge by scoring 17 points along with seven rebounds and two steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Bryson Nixon, who scored 14 points along with two steals.
Paxton is on a roll lately: they've won nine of their last ten matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 15-4 record this season. As for Destin, their win bumped their record up to 11-9.
Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a scrappy contest: Paxton have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 35.8 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Destin, though, as they've been averaging only 33.1 rebounds per game. Given Paxton's sizeable advantage in that area, Destin will need to find a way to close that gap.
Paxton didn't have too much breathing room in their match against Destin when the teams last played on January 2nd, but they still walked away with a 55-51 win. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Nixon, who went 7 for 10 from beyond the arc en route to 24 points and 2 assists. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Paxton still be able to contain him? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
