Preview: Okeechobee Brahmans vs. Port St. Lucie Jaguars
Okeechobee has been on the road for two straight, but on Tuesday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Port St. Lucie Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Okeechobee will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Florida Rankings (they are ranked 331st, while Port St. Lucie is ranked 157th).
Last Friday, it was a hard-fought game, but Okeechobee had to settle for a 50-48 loss against Jensen Beach.
The losing side was boosted by Oliver Saunders, who scored 22 points along with 7 rebounds and 3 steals. He scored a full 45.8% of Okeechobee's points, the second time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Chaynaya'ah Phillips, who scored 9 points along with 3 steals.
Meanwhile, Port St. Lucie didn't have too much trouble with Eau Gallie at home on Thursday as they won 70-54. The win made it back-to-back wins for Port St. Lucie.
Port St. Lucie's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ryan Rodriguez led the charge by scoring 30 points. The contest was Rodriguez's seventh in a row with at least ten points. Makhari Chambliss was another key contributor, scoring 21 points along with 5 rebounds.
Okeechobee's loss dropped their record down to 4-2. As for Port St. Lucie, they have yet to lose a matchup at home this season, leaving them with a 6-1 record.
Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Okeechobee have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 43.8% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Port St. Lucie struggles in that department as they've nailed 45.6% of theirs this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
Okeechobee came up short against Port St. Lucie in their previous matchup back in January, falling 61-50. Thankfully for Okeechobee, TJ Schuck (who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 17 rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
