The Florence Gophers will square off against the Coolidge Bears at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Florence is currently enjoying a perfect season and no doubt wants to keep things rolling.
Last Tuesday, Florence strolled past Globe with points to spare, taking the game 64-48. Given the Gophers' advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 48th, while the Tigers are ranked 184th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Florence's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Brody Ramirez, who went 8 of 16 en route to 20 points and five boards. The team also got some help courtesy of Adrian Taufaasau, who dropped a double-double on 15 points and ten rebounds.
Florence smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in three consecutive games.
Meanwhile, it's never fun to lose, and it's even less fun to lose 84-36, which was the final score in Coolidge's tilt against Valley Christian on Tuesday.
Florence will need focus on slowing down Adarius Miguel, one of several Coolidge players who made an impact when they last played. He went 5 for 11 on his way to 11 points. Preston Dees was another key player, putting up seven points and 11 boards.
Florence pushed their record up to 18-0 with the win, which was their fifth straight on the road. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 71.4 points per game. As for Coolidge, their loss ended a three-game streak of wins at home and dropped them to 16-5.
Keep an eye on the arc in Friday's matchup: Florence has been dynamite from deep this season, having made 53.9% of their three-pointers per game. It's a different story for Coolidge, though, as they've only made 28% of their three-pointers this season. Given Florence's sizable advantage in that area, Coolidge will need to find a way to close that gap.
Florence and Coolidge were neck-and-neck in their previous matchup back in January of 2024, but Florence came up empty-handed after a 66-65 defeat. Will Florence have more luck at home instead of on the road? Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
