Basketball Game Preview: Belleview Rattlers vs. Vanguard Knights

Belleview is 0-10 against Vanguard since December of 2015 but things could change on Tuesday. The Belleview Rattlers will take on the Vanguard Knights at 5:30 p.m.

Belleview is headed into the matchup out to prove that what happened against Lake Weir on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Belleview came up short against Lake Weir, falling 52-31. While losing is never fun, the Rattlers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 679th, while the Hurricanes are ranked 315th).

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Vanguard, who bounced back after a loss on the road on Thursday. They walked away with a 56-45 win over Trinity Catholic on Saturday. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Knights as it put an end to their five-game losing streak.

Belleview's defeat dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Vanguard, their win bumped their record up to 7-8.

Belleview took a serious blow against Vanguard when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 77-32. Thankfully for Belleview, Jandrian Smith (who went 7 for 13 on his way to 20 points in addition to five assists and three steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.