Basketball Game Preview: McKeel Academy Wildcats vs. Lake Wales Highlanders

The McKeel Academy Wildcats will head out on the road to face off against the Lake Wales Highlanders at 8:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Both teams took a loss in their last game, so they'll have plenty of motivation to get the 'W'.

Last Friday, McKeel Academy took a blow against Auburndale, falling 62-28. While losing is never fun, the Wildcats can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 348th, while the Bloodhounds are ranked 127th).

Meanwhile, Lake Wales was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their fourth straight loss. They were five points away from ending the streak, but they lost a 57-52 heartbreaker at the hands of Freedom.

McKeel Academy will need focus on slowing down Siled Morris, one of several Lake Wales players who made an impact when they last played. He posted 11 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Jorge Ramirez, who put up 11 points and six steals.

Even though they lost, Lake Wales smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 12 offensive boards in three consecutive matchups.

Lake Wales' defeat dropped their record down to 6-9. As for McKeel Academy, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost five of their last six contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-7 record this season.

McKeel Academy was able to grind out a solid win over Lake Wales in their previous meeting back in November of 2023, winning 62-53. The rematch might be a little tougher for McKeel Academy since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.