Basketball Game Preview: Wiregrass Ranch Bulls vs. Mitchell Mustangs

The Wiregrass Ranch Bulls will challenge the Mitchell Mustangs on Wednesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Wiregrass Ranch fought the good fight in their overtime match against Wesley Chapel on Friday but wound up with a less-than-desirable result. They fell 93-83 to the Wildcats. The Bulls were up 63-46 in the third quarter but couldn't hold on to the lead.

Despite their defeat, Wiregrass Ranch saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Kj Smith, who posted 26 points in addition to six assists and three blocks, was perhaps the best of all. That's the most blocks Smith has posted since back in January of 2024. Another player making a difference was Donovan Gaines, who dropped a double-double on 22 points and ten rebounds.

Meanwhile, Mitchell had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 22.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Monday. They took down the Gators 72-58.

Mitchell is also on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six games, which provided a nice bump to their 15-11 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 77.0 points per game. As for Wiregrass Ranch, their loss ended a five-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 17-7.

Wiregrass Ranch strolled past Mitchell in their previous meeting back in December of 2024 by a score of 78-64. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Mitchell's Christopher Stoddart, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 12 boards. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Wiregrass Ranch still be able to contain Stoddart? There's only one way to find out.