Preview: Southridge Spartans vs. Palmetto Panthers
Southridge is 9-1 against Palmetto since January of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Southridge Spartans will play host again and welcome the Palmetto Panthers, where tip off is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Last Friday, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Southridge beat Miami 49-45. Given Southridge's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked tenth, while Miami is ranked 64th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Southridge's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Shanaii Gamble, who scored 17 points along with 9 rebounds and 5 steals. That makes it two consecutive games in which Gamble has scored at least 25% of Southridge's points. Another player making a difference was Dianka Hardisson, who scored 16 points along with 6 rebounds and 4 steals.
Meanwhile, Palmetto entered their tilt with Ferguson with three consecutive wins but they'll enter their next game with four. Palmetto secured a 35-31 W over Ferguson on Friday.
Southridge pushed their record up to 7-0 with that win, which was their fifth straight at home. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 60.2 points per game. As for Palmetto, their victory bumped their record up to 4-1.
Southridge beat Palmetto 44-34 in their previous meeting back in January of 2019. Will Southridge repeat their success, or does Palmetto have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
