Preview: Dr. Phillips Panthers vs. Lake Highland Prep Highlanders
Dr. Phillips is on a eight-game streak of home wins, while Lake Highland Prep is on a nine-game streak of away wins: one of those streaks is about to end. The Dr. Phillips Panthers will take on the Lake Highland Prep Highlanders at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Dr. Phillips has been dominant on offense recently, as they've racked up an incredible 554 points over their last eight contests.
Last Friday, Dr. Phillips faced St. Thomas Aquinas in a battle between two of the state's top teams. Dr. Phillips strolled past St. Thomas Aquinas with points to spare, taking the game 56-42.
Trinity Turner continued her habit of posting crazy stat lines, almost dropping a triple-double on 13 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. She has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Sariah Johnson, who scored eight points along with eight rebounds and two steals.
Meanwhile, Lake Highland Prep stacked an 11th blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard on Friday. They blew past Windermere Prep 76-42 on the road. Given Lake Highland Prep's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked third, while Windermere Prep is ranked 87th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lake Highland Prep's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Lexi Blue, who scored 15 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. Blue is on a roll when it comes to points, as she's now scored 15 or more in the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Jada Eads, who scored 12 points along with eight rebounds.
Dr. Phillips' win bumped their record up to 15-4. As for Lake Highland Prep, they are on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last eight contests, which provided a nice bump to their 14-4 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Dr. Phillips have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 39.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Lake Highland Prep struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 27.9 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Dr. Phillips strolled past Lake Highland Prep in their previous matchup back in January of 2023 by a score of 80-64. Does Dr. Phillips have another victory up their sleeve, or will Lake Highland Prep turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
