Preview: Parrish Community Bulls vs. Saint Stephen's Episcopal Falcons
Parrish Community has enjoyed a three-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will take on the Saint Stephen's Episcopal Falcons at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Hopefully Parrish Community is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Saint Stephen's Episcopal in Florida (Parrish Community is ranked 267th, while Saint Stephen's Episcopal is ranked 676th).
Last Friday, Parrish Community came up short against Braden River and fell 49-42.
Parrish Community's loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Malakai Cuffy, who scored 15 points along with three steals, and Dylan Higgins who scored 18 points. Cuffy has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last six times he's played.
Saint Stephen's Episcopal can finally bid farewell to their eight-game losing streak thanks to their game on Saturday. They were the clear victor by a 63-40 margin over Oasis Christian. Saint Stephen's Episcopal's offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Will Deprenger and Nick Yatros were among the main playmakers for Saint Stephen's Episcopal as the former scored 17 points along with six rebounds and four steals and the latter dropped a double-double on 18 points and 13 rebounds. That's the first time this season that Deprenger scored 15 or more points. Jack Horn was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Parrish Community's loss ended a six-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 14-6. As for Saint Stephen's Episcopal, their victory bumped their record up to 4-14.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Parrish Community have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 25.1 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Saint Stephen's Episcopal, though, as they've been averaging only 29.4 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Parrish Community was able to grind out a solid win over Saint Stephen's Episcopal in their previous meeting back in December of 2023, winning 59-48. The rematch might be a little tougher for Parrish Community since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
