Preview: Palmetto Panthers vs. Coral Glades Jaguars
Two dominant guards in Santiago Henriquez and Tahir Bond are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Palmetto Panthers will square off against the Coral Glades Jaguars at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. Palmetto knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past eight contests -- so hopefully Coral Glades likes a good challenge.
Even though Dr. Krop scored an imposing 72 points on Thursday, Palmetto still came out on top. Palmetto enjoyed a cozy 88-72 victory over Dr. Krop. Given Palmetto's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 113th, while Dr. Krop is ranked 271st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Palmetto's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Henriquez, who dropped a double-double on 27 points and ten steals. Henriquez hasn't dropped below 15points for five straight games. Joshua Lipson was another key contributor, scoring 23 points along with six rebounds and six steals.
Meanwhile, Coral Glades scored the most points they've had all season to find success last Thursday. They blew past Flanagan 78-28 on the road. The win was nothing new for Coral Glades as they're now sitting on three straight.
Bond was his usual excellent self, scoring 23 points along with six rebounds and three steals. He has been hot recently, having posted two or more steals the last five times he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Gavin Reed, who scored 11 points along with five assists and three steals.
Palmetto's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 15-9. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 74.8 points per game. As for Coral Glades, their victory ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 11-12.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Palmetto have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 29.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Coral Glades struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.5 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Palmetto took their victory against Coral Glades in their previous meeting back in February of 2023 by a conclusive 69-48. Does Palmetto have another victory up their sleeve, or will Coral Glades turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
