Basketball Game Preview: Vanguard Knights vs. South Sumter Raiders

The Vanguard Knights will face off against the South Sumter Raiders at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Vanguard has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games.

Vanguard is headed into the match after thoroughly thrashing Santa Fe: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Vanguard blew Santa Fe out of the water with a 63-25 final score. The Knights have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six contests by 33 points or more this season.

Vanguard's win on Thursday was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Melanie Santiago, who went 8 of 14 on her way to 16 points and seven steals. The dominant performance gave Santiago a new career-high in points. Sanaria Gunsby was another key player, going 6 for 9 en route to 13 points along with seven rebounds and five steals.

Vanguard smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 19 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in five consecutive games.

Meanwhile, South Sumter had to suffer through a 58-19 loss at the hands of Belleview. The Raiders have struggled against the Rattlers recently, as the game was their sixth consecutive lost matchup.

South Sumter's loss dropped their record down to 2-17. As for Vanguard, they now have a winning record of 8-7.

Everything came up roses for Vanguard against South Sumter in their previous matchup back in December of 2024, as the squad secured a 59-9 victory. In that matchup, Vanguard amassed a halftime lead of 40-4, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Wednesday.