Marianna is 2-8 against Graceville since December of 2019 but they'll have a chance to close the gap a little bit on Thursday. The Bulldogs will be home for the holidays to greet the Tigers at 5:30 p.m. Marianna will be strutting in after a victory while Graceville will be coming in after a defeat.
On Tuesday, the stars were shining brightly for Marianna in a 48-29 win over Poplar Springs. The Bulldogs haven't had any issues with the Atomics recently, as the game was their fourth consecutive victory against them.
Marianna got their win on the backs of several key players, but it was Harmoni Gibson out in front who shot 46% from the field to rack up 13 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Dessiah Gee, who went 5-for-11 on her way to 11 points and three steals.
Meanwhile, it was a proper cat-fight when Graceville took on Bethlehem on Monday. The Tigers fell 41-29 to the Wildcats. While losing is never fun, the Tigers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 434th, while the Wildcats are ranked 192nd).
Despite the loss, Graceville saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Teresa Brown almost dropped a double-double with 21 points and nine rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Brown has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Katie Burrell, who posted six points.
Graceville's defeat dropped their record down to 2-4. As for Marianna, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Marianna has been crazy accurate this season, having made 47.9% of their field goals per game. It's a different story for Graceville, though, as they've only made 28.8% of their shots this season. Given Marianna's sizable advantage in that area, the Tigers will need to find a way to close that gap.
Marianna couldn't quite get it done against Graceville in their previous matchup back in January as they fell 39-28. Will the Bulldogs 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.
