Escambia hasn't had much luck against Pensacola recently, but that could start to change on Friday. The Escambia Gators will square off against the Pensacola Tigers at 6:00 p.m.
On Tuesday, Escambia had to suffer through a 74-36 loss at the hands of West Florida. While losing is never fun, the Gators can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 489th, while the Jaguars are ranked 106th).
Despite their defeat, Escambia saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Tyauna English, who posted 16 points and five rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. The team also got some help courtesy of Demi Liu, who put up 13 points and five rebounds.
Even though they lost, Escambia smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in 11 consecutive contests.
Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Pensacola, who bounced back after a loss on the road back in December of 2024. They rang in the new year with a 47-39 victory over Fort Walton Beach last Monday.
Pensacola's win came from a few key players Escambia will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Chioma Patterson, who had ten points along with seven boards and four steals. Kimiya Travis was another key player, going 6 of 8 on her way to 12 points.
Pensacola pushed their record up to 9-6 with the win, which was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season. The wins came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.6 points per game. As for Escambia, their loss dropped their record down to 4-7.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Escambia has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 42.4 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Pensacola struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.9 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Escambia was taken down by Pensacola 55-9 in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. Can Escambia avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
