Hernando and Crystal River are an even 5-5 against one another since February of 2020, but not for long. The Hernando Leopards just played last yesterday, but they'll still welcome the Crystal River Pirates at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both are sauntering into the matchup backed by comfortable wins in their prior games.
Hernando is headed into the game after thoroughly thrashing Angeline Academy of Innovation: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Hernando blew Angeline Academy of Innovation out of the water with a 77-29 final score. That looming 77-29 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Leopards yet this season.
| 01/13/25 @ Angeline Academy of Innovation | 11 |
| 12/28/24 vs Spring Hill Christian Academy | 9 |
| 12/17/24 @ Weeki Wachee | 8 |
| 12/10/24 @ Central | 5 |
| 12/18/24 vs Dunnellon | 4 |
Daniel Merizalde was his usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 15 points and 11 assists. Those 11 assists gave him a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Nate Blomberg, who went 5 of 8 en route to 11 points and five rebounds.
Meanwhile, winning is always nice, but doing so behind a season-high score is even better (just ask Crystal River). They claimed a resounding 84-57 win over Weeki Wachee. The Pirates have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matchups by 22 points or more this season.
Crystal River's win came from a few key players Hernando will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Jake Yost, who went 5 of 11 on his way to 17 points and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Ej Jenkins, who dropped a double-double on 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Crystal River smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Weeki Wachee only pulled down eight offensive boards.
Crystal River has been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 9-6 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.5 points per game. As for Hernando, their victory bumped their record up to 12-5.
Hernando couldn't quite finish off Crystal River in their previous meeting back in December of 2024 and fell 55-52. Will Hernando have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
