Basketball Game Preview: Pine Ridge Panthers vs. Spruce Creek Hawks

The Pine Ridge Panthers and the Spruce Creek Hawks will compete for holiday cheer at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, the two teams will really light up the scoreboard.

Last Friday, Pine Ridge was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 62-58 to University. Despite running the score up even higher than they did in their prior game on Tuesday (56), the Panthers still had to take the loss.

The loss doesn't tell the whole story though, as several players had good games. One of the most active was Anthony Tedesco, who posted 12 points along with eight rebounds and three steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Jyles Newman, who went 8 of 18 on his way to 17 points in addition to seven rebounds and three steals.

Even though they lost, Pine Ridge smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards in four consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Spruce Creek's undefeated season came to an end after six games on Friday. They took a 61-56 hit to the loss column at the hands of Atlantic. The game marked the Hawks' lowest-scoring contest so far this season.

Pine Ridge has traveled a rocky road recently having lost four of their last five matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 3-4 record this season. As for Spruce Creek, their defeat was their first of the season and makes their record 6-1.

Pine Ridge ended up a good deal behind Spruce Creek in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, losing 66-49. Will Pine Ridge have more luck at home instead of on the road? Come back here after the game to get an analysis of the match and other basketball content.