Preview: Countryside Cougars vs. Lakewood Spartans
Two dominant guards in Corey Perlin and David Larkin are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Countryside Cougars will head out on the road to face off against the Lakewood Spartans at 8:00 p.m. on Monday. Countryside is looking to tack on another W to their four-game streak on the road.
Countryside posted their closest victory yet this season on Tuesday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Hollins and snuck past 59-57. Given Countryside's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 189th, while Hollins is ranked 417th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Countryside's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Cameron Halloran, who scored 13 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Halloran has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Perlin, who scored 16 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, Lakewood's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their fifth straight loss. They were beaten by Gibbs 76-49. Lakewood has struggled against Gibbs recently, as their game on Friday was their eighth consecutive lost matchup.
Countryside is on a roll lately: they've won ten of their last 12 matches, which provided a nice bump to their 13-6 record this season. As for Lakewood, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost nine of their last 12 matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-11 record this season.
Countryside came up short against Lakewood when the teams last played back in February of 2023, falling 46-41. Can Countryside avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
