Basketball Game Preview: Lakeside Christian Lions vs. Gulf Coast HEAT

Lakeside Christian has won three straight games at home, while Gulf Coast HEAT has won three straight on the road, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Lakeside Christian Lions will host Gulf Coast HEAT at 5:00 p.m.

Lakeside Christian is probably headed into the matchup with a chip on their shoulder considering Bishop McLaughlin Catholic just ended the team's four-game winning streak on Tuesday. They received a blow as they fell 38-22 to the Hurricanes.

Despite the defeat, Lakeside Christian saw an underclassman step up: freshman Ayva David almost dropped a double-double on nine boards and ten steals. David is crushing it when it comes to steals: she's grabbed at least three every time she's taken the court this season.

Meanwhile, Gulf Coast HEAT strolled past Ruskin Christian with points to spare on Tuesday, taking the game 50-32.

Gulf Coast HEAT found their leader in freshman Audriana Colten, who posted 18 points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kenna Baker, who earned 13 points.

Gulf Coast HEAT has been performing well recently as they've won ten of their last 12 games, which provided a nice bump to their 15-5 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.0 points per game. As for Lakeside Christian, their loss dropped their record down to 6-8.