Basketball Game Preview: Gulf Coast HEAT vs. Lakewood Ranch Mustangs

Gulf Coast HEAT will challenge the Lakewood Ranch Mustangs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Gulf Coast HEAT knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past 16 matches -- so hopefully Lakewood Ranch likes a good challenge.

Gulf Coast HEAT is headed in fresh off scoring the most points they have all season. They blew past Sarasota Military Academy 90-45 on Tuesday. With Gulf Coast HEAT ahead 58-26 at the half, the contest was all but over already.

Gulf Coast HEAT's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Cayden Bosso, who shot 5-for-8 from downtown and almost dropped a double-double on 30 points and nine assists. Those 30 points gave Bosso a new career-high. Westin Lacey was another key player, going 12 of 14 en route to 27 points along with six assists and five boards.

Bosso wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Gulf Coast HEAT was working as a unit and finished the game with 26 assists. The team's really been improving in that area: they've now improved their assist total in three consecutive games.

Meanwhile, Lakewood Ranch was not able to break out of their rough patch on Thursday as the team picked up their eighth straight loss. They took a 79-60 bruising from Booker.

Lakewood Ranch's defeat dropped their record down to 3-17. As for Gulf Coast HEAT, their victory bumped their record up to 12-4.