Basketball Game Preview: Booker Tornadoes vs. Tampa Catholic Crusaders

Booker has won eight straight games at home (dating back to last season), while Tampa Catholic has won eight straight on the road also dating back to last season, but those streaks won't matter much on Thursday. The Booker Tornadoes will host the Tampa Catholic Crusaders at 7:30 p.m. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.

Booker saw some tournament action on Saturday. They took down DeSoto County 71-55.

It was another big night for Brianna Behn, who dropped a double-double on 29 points and ten boards. She has been hot recently, having posted eight or more rebounds the last three times she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Marayah Stuart, who went 5 of 8 on her way to 13 points and four steals.

Booker smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in 12 consecutive matches.

Meanwhile, Tampa Catholic hadn't done well against Wesley Chapel recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. Tampa Catholic breezed by Wesley Chapel to the tune of 60-26. The Crusaders have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven games by 21 points or more this season.

Tampa Catholic has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a nice bump to their 10-7 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.8 points per game. As for Booker, their win bumped their record up to 9-3.

Booker beat Tampa Catholic 47-39 in their previous meeting back in January of 2023. Will Booker repeat their success, or does Tampa Catholic have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.