Basketball Game Preview: Apopka Blue Darters vs. Ocoee Knights

Apopka and Ocoee are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2019, but not for long. The Apopka Blue Darters will challenge the Ocoee Knights on Thursday. Expect the scorekeeper to be kept busy: if their previous games are any indication, both will really light up the scoreboard.

Apopka is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Lake Brantley 63-13. The Blue Darters have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven games by 20 points or more this season.

Apopka's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jhenelle Francis led the charge by dropping a double-double on 17 points and ten steals. Francis is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least two every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Amirah Nurse, who posted five points along with 11 steals and six rebounds.

Meanwhile, Ocoee waltzed into their match on Friday with six straight wins... but they left with seven. They took down the Grenadiers 59-41. Given the Knights' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 24th, while the Grenadiers are ranked 166th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Ocoee's victory was their fifth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 20-3. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 63.8 points per game. As for Apopka, they have been performing well recently as they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a nice bump to their 9-12 record this season.

Apopka ended up a good deal behind Ocoee in their previous meeting back in December of 2024, losing 50-32. Can Apopka avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.