The St. Petersburg Catholic Barons will square off against the Bradenton Christian Panthers on Saturday. St. Petersburg Catholic will be strutting in after a victory while Bradenton Christian will be coming in after a loss.
St. Petersburg Catholic is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They claimed a resounding 50-22 win over Out-of-Door Academy. The Barons have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won nine games by 21 points or more this season.
| 02/06/25 vs Out-of-Door Academy | 4 |
| 12/05/24 @ Cristo Rey Tampa | 5 |
| 11/22/24 @ Shorecrest Prep | 6 |
| 11/21/24 vs Cambridge Christian | 5 |
| 12/01/23 @ Winthrop College Prep Academy | 4 |
Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead St. Petersburg Catholic to victory, but perhaps none more so than Naomi Denmark, who went 7 of 17 on her way to 14 points in addition to seven rebounds and four steals. That's the most steals Denmark has posted since back in December of 2024. Kinsley Spoor was another key player, putting up eight points along with eight boards and five blocks.
St. Petersburg Catholic smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 18 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Bradenton Christian was beaten by Port Charlotte 73-34 last Thursday. While losing is never fun, the Panthers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 252nd, while the Pirates are ranked 53rd).
St. Petersburg Catholic will need focus on slowing down Amelia Dammann, one of several Bradenton Christian players who made an impact when they last played. She went 6 for 10 en route to 12 points and three steals. Dammann is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last three games she's played.
St. Petersburg Catholic's victory was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 18-9. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 21.3 points per game. As for Bradenton Christian, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost seven of their last nine matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 12-12 record this season.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: St. Petersburg Catholic has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Bradenton Christian struggles in that department as they've been averaging 24.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
St. Petersburg Catholic took a serious blow against Bradenton Christian in their previous meeting back in January of 2017, falling 56-21. That game was all but decided by halftime, at which point St. Petersburg Catholic was down 37-10.
