Ida Baker is on a three-game streak of home losses, Riverdale a 19-game streak of away losses dating back to last season, but someone's luck will change on Monday. The Ida Baker Bulldogs will be taking part in a tournament against the Riverdale Raiders at 7:00 p.m. Having both just faced considerable losses, both teams are looking to turn things around.
Ida Baker came up short against Gateway on Friday, falling 52-31. While losing is never fun, the Bulldogs can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 495th, while the Eagles are ranked 98th).
| 01/23/24 @ Mariner | 26 |
| 01/04/24 vs Island Coast | 24 |
| 01/10/25 vs Gateway | 23 |
| 12/14/23 vs Riverdale | 21 |
| 12/07/23 vs Bishop Verot | 19 |
Ida Baker might have lost, but man, Maia Berdebes was a machine: she posted 23 points and seven rebounds. That's the most points Berdebes has posted since back in January of 2024.
Even though they lost, Ida Baker smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, Riverdale played a tough match on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They took a blow against North Fort Myers, falling 62-22. The Raiders were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 37-10.
Ida Baker will need focus on slowing down Bonner Destiny, one of several Riverdale players who made an impact when they last played. She had five points and three blocks. Destiny has been hot recently, having posted three or more blocks the last four times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Raniyah Dubose, who posted 12 points.
Ida Baker's defeat dropped their record down to 2-13. As for Riverdale, their loss dropped their record down to 0-13.
Monday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy game: Ida Baker has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 30.2 boards per game. It's a different story for Riverdale, though, as they've been averaging only 14.8 rebounds. Given Ida Baker's sizable advantage in that area, Riverdale will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for Ida Baker against Riverdale when the teams last played back in January of 2024, as the squad secured a 61-31 victory. Will Ida Baker repeat their success, or does Riverdale have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
