After both having extra time off, the Haines City Hornets and the Lake Wales Highlanders will dust off their jerseys to take on one another at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. Haines City is coming into the match on a five-game losing streak.
Last Friday, Haines City lost to Carrollton on the road by a 66-50 margin.
| 12/20/24 vs Carrollton | 3 |
| 12/19/24 vs Westminster Academy | 2 |
| 12/18/24 vs Hazel Green | 3 |
| 12/14/24 vs Bolles | 2 |
| 12/13/24 vs Potter's House Christian | 8 |
Despite the defeat, Haines City saw an underclassman step up: freshman Delissa Morris went 5 for 10 on her way to 16 points in addition to seven boards and three steals. Morris is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last ten games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Olivia Howard, who went 5 of 12 on her way to 10 points and eight rebounds.
Even though they lost, Haines City smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in four consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, Lake Wales got the win against Lake Region two weeks ago by a conclusive 68-45. The Highlanders have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won six games by 23 points or more this season.
Lake Wales' win came from a few key players Haines City will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Vanessa Squire, who dropped a double-double on 17 points and ten boards. She is becoming a predictor of Lake Wales' success: when she posts at least ten rebounds the team is 6-2 (and 2-3 when she doesn't). The team also got some help courtesy of Tateyanna Mickel, who posted 14 points and six steals.
Lake Wales is on a roll lately: they've won four of their last five matches, which provided a nice bump to their 8-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 62.0 points per game. As for Haines City, their loss dropped their record down to 8-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Haines City has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 30.5 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Lake Wales struggles in that department as they've been averaging 29.7 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Haines City strolled past Lake Wales in their previous matchup on December 5th by a score of 51-35. The rematch might be a little tougher for Haines City since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
