Basketball Recap: Jhenelle Francis Key Part of a Team Effort in Blue Darters Win

Apopka fell on hard times earlier this season, but after back-to-back victories it seems like their luck might finally be changing. They managed a 43-39 win over the West Orange Warriors on Friday. This was a revenge game for the Blue Darters: when they faced off against the Warriors back in December of 2024, they had to take a 56-49 defeat.

Apopka's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jhenelle Francis, who went 8 of 12 on her way to 20 points and four steals. Francis is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Another player making a difference was Asia Jones, who posted nine points and four steals.

Several Warriors players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was Chakayla Scott, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and 23 boards. Those 23 rebounds gave Scott a new career-high. Jadid Polanco was another key player, putting up 12 points along with five boards and three steals.

Apopka's victory was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 6-11. As for West Orange, they have also traveled a rocky road recently having lost nine of their last ten matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-12 record this season.

Apopka will take on Oak Ridge at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Oak Ridge knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past six contests -- so hopefully Apopka likes a good challenge. West Orange has already played their next game (against Wekiva), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing.