Booker is a perfect 10-0 against DeSoto County since January of 2016 and they'll have a chance to extend that dominance on Friday. The Booker Tornadoes will host the DeSoto County Bulldogs at 7:00 p.m. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Booker sitting on nine straight victories and DeSoto County on six.
Booker is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They took their contest with ease, bagging a 61-20 win over Chamberlain. The Tornadoes have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 matches by 25 points or more this season.
Yvette Brown
| 02/18/25 vs Chamberlain | 4 |
| 02/13/25 vs Gibbs | 3 |
| 02/08/25 vs Gibbs | 7 |
| 02/06/25 vs Seminole | 3 |
| 01/31/25 @ Wesley Chapel | 2 |
| + 3 more games |
Yvette Brown and Jsiyah Taylor were among the main playmakers for Booker as the former made all 7 shots she took for 15 points along with seven boards and four steals and the latter made all 7 shots she took racking up 15 points and three steals. Brown has been hot, having posted two or more steals the last eight times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Marayah Stuart, who posted ten points and six steals.
Meanwhile, DeSoto County didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Robinson on Tuesday, but they still walked away with a 57-51 victory. Given the Bulldogs' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 77th, while the Knights are ranked 205th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Booker better focus on containing Yahri Tyler and Cherish Wiggins as the pair were huge in DeSoto County's win. Tyler dropped a double-double with 25 points and ten rebounds, while Wiggins scored 15 points in addition to eight assists and six boards. What's more, Tyler posted five steals, the most she's had since back in December of 2024. Whitley Barron was another key player, putting up nine points.
DeSoto County smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 17 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in 11 consecutive contests.
Booker's win was their seventh straight at home, which pushed their record up to 19-6. They've dominated over that stretch too, winning by an average of 28.7 points. As for DeSoto County, their victory bumped their record up to 21-6.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Booker has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 36.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like DeSoto County struggles in that department as they've been averaging 31.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Everything came up roses for Booker against DeSoto County in their previous meeting back in January, as the team secured a 60-32 win. In that matchup, Booker amassed a halftime lead of 33-12, an impressive feat they'll look to repeat on Friday.
