Basketball Recap: Manatee Takes Down Lakewood Ranch in a Playoff Battle

Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Manatee walked away with it. They narrowly escaped with a win as the team sidled past the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs 39-36. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest victory the Hurricanes have posted since January 29, 2024.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Manatee to victory, but perhaps none more so than Kayla Simon, who posted 19 points. That's the most points Simon has posted since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Justine Wilson, who scored 12 points.

Manatee has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 15-9 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.0 points per game. As for Lakewood Ranch, their loss ended an eight-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 16-5.

As of now, neither Manatee nor Lakewood Ranch have any future games scheduled.