Preview: Flagler Palm Coast Bulldogs vs. Matanzas Pirates
After four games on the road, Flagler Palm Coast is heading back home. They will take on the Matanzas Pirates at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
On Monday, Flagler Palm Coast earned a 44-33 victory over DME Academy Gold.
Caumarion Lang was the offensive standout of the match as he scored 20 points along with seven rebounds and four steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points he has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Jameer Clark, who scored 15 points along with two steals.
Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Matanzas ultimately got the result they hoped for on Monday. They sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 62-59 victory over Davenport. The win was just what Matanzas needed coming off of a 70-50 defeat in their prior contest.
Matanzas found their leader in underclassman Henry Robinson Jr., who dropped a double-double on 22 points and 12 rebounds. Robinson Jr. has been hot recently, having posted two or more blocks the last 13 times he's played. Another player making a difference was Tariq Shakir, who scored 11 points along with six assists and three steals.
Flagler Palm Coast's victory bumped their record up to 8-9. As for Matanzas, they have been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 7-10 record this season.
Wednesday's matchup will pit two of the most dominant players against one another: Clark and Robinson Jr. Clark has been dynamite this season: he has averaged 17.3 points, 1.2 steals, and 3.5 rebounds. For his part, Robinson Jr. has averaged 21.2 points, 2.9 blocks, and 1.9 steals.
Flagler Palm Coast suffered a grim 76-54 defeat to Matanzas in their previous meeting back in January of 2023. Thankfully for Flagler Palm Coast, Karl Knighten (who went 6 for 9 from beyond the arc en route to 28 points and 5 assists) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
