Basketball Game Preview: Palm Bay Pirates vs. Bayside Bears

The Palm Bay Pirates will face off against the Bayside Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Palm Bay has struggled recently with four losses in a row, while Bayside will arrive with five straight victories.

On Wednesday, Palm Bay lost to Rockledge at home by a 64-45 margin. While losing is never fun, the Pirates can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 495th, while the Raiders are ranked 213th).

Meanwhile, it may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Bayside ultimately got the result they hoped for on Wednesday. They came out on top against Celebration by a score of 80-71. The Bears' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Bayside's win was their third straight at home, which pushed their record up to 10-3. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 74.0 points per game. As for Palm Bay, their defeat dropped their record down to 4-9.

Everything came up roses for Palm Bay against Bayside in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, as the team secured a 75-25 victory. Does Palm Bay have another victory up their sleeve, or will Bayside turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.