Basketball Game Preview: Orange Park Raiders vs. Beachside Barracudas

Orange Park hasn't had much luck against Beachside recently, but that could start to change on Thursday. The Orange Park Raiders will take on the Beachside Barracudas at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the match red-hot, with Orange Park sitting on three straight wins and Beachside on five.

Orange Park is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Saturday. They secured a 44-38 W over Ridgeview.

Orange Park's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Trinity Dinkins, who went 6 for 10 en route to 15 points and five boards. Another player making a difference was Ella Crowe, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and ten rebounds.

Meanwhile, everything came up roses for Beachside against Ponte Vedra on Saturday as the team secured a 73-34 win. The Barracudas have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven games by 24 points or more this season.

Beachside's win came from a few key players Orange Park will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Morgan Cremen, who went 6 of 9 on her way to 19 points along with eight assists and five steals. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last 19 games she's played. Kendall Kane was another key player, going 8 for 12 to rack up 21 points and five assists.

Orange Park's record now sits at 16-11. As for Beachside, their record now sits at 13-9.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Orange Park has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.4 boards per game. However, it's not like Beachside struggles in that department as they've been averaging 26.3 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Orange Park suffered a grim 77-53 defeat to Beachside when the teams last played back in January. Can Orange Park avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.