Basketball Game Preview: Tavares Bulldogs vs. Hernando Leopards

The Tavares Bulldogs will challenge the Hernando Leopards at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Each of these teams will be fighting to keep a win streak alive as Tavares comes in on five and Hernando on three.

If Tavares beats Hernando with 71 points on Wednesday, it's going to be the squad's new lucky number: they've won their past two matches with that exact score. Tavares was the clear victor by a 71-51 margin over Crescent City on Friday. The Bulldogs have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won eight contests by 20 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Hernando had already proven themselves in the regular season and they didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They walked away with a 79-69 victory over Citrus on Monday. The Leopards' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.

Tavares better keep an eye on Sam Jackson. He was instrumental in Hernando's win, dropping a double-double on 29 points and ten rebounds. Those 29 points gave Jackson a new career-high. Daniel Merizalde was another key player, going 6 for 12 en route to 18 points and seven boards.

Tavares has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a massive bump to their 13-9 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 68.8 points per game. As for Hernando, their win bumped their record up to 19-7.