Basketball Game Preview: Baker County Wildcats vs. Bell Bulldogs

The Baker County Wildcats will head out to challenge the Bell Bulldogs at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Baker County will be looking to extend their current five-game winning streak.

If Baker County beats Bell with 61 points on Friday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. Baker County blew past Suwannee 61-21 on Tuesday. Given the Wildcats' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 132nd, while the Bulldogs are ranked 520th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Bell made easy work of Riverside Christian on Tuesday and carried off a 47-26 victory.

Bell's win came from a few key players Baker County will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Rylee Johnson, who went 5 for 7 on her way to 10 points and seven rebounds. That's the most points she has posted since back in December of 2023. Maddie Smith was another key player, putting up 12 points and six steals.

Bell smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 25 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in eight consecutive games.

Baker County's win was their seventh straight on the road dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 8-1. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 55.1 points per game. As for Bell, their victory bumped their record up to 4-5.