Basketball Recap: Pine Crest's Higher State Rank on Full Display on Saturday

It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Pine Crest ultimately got the result they hoped for on Saturday. They came out on top against the Palmetto Ridge Bears by a score of 60-53. Given the Panthers' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 85th, while the Bears are ranked 214th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

It was another big night for Isabella Sangha, who dropped a double-double on 33 points and ten boards. She has been hot for a while, having posted nine or more rebounds the last 16 times she's played. Another player making a difference was Franky Garfi, who posted eight points along with 14 boards and seven assists.

Pine Crest smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive boards in seven consecutive games.

When it comes to explaining why Palmetto Ridge lost, don't look at Melody Charlton. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 28 points and 13 rebounds. That's the most points Charlton has posted since back in November of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Naika Philistin, who had six points.

Pine Crest's record is now 14-4. As for Palmetto Ridge, their defeat dropped their record down to 12-9.

Pine Crest didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next match, a 55-24 win against Spanish River on the 27th. Palmetto Ridge has also already played their next contest (against Canterbury), but no score has been uploaded at the time of writing.