The New Smyrna Beach Barracudas and the Flagler Palm Coast Bulldogs will compete for holiday cheer at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the contest red-hot, with New Smyrna Beach sitting on six straight wins and Flagler Palm Coast on four.
Last Tuesday, New Smyrna Beach humbled University with a 66-33 victory. That looming 66-33 mark stands out as the most commanding margin for the Barracudas yet this season.
New Smyrna Beach's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Robert Hazard, who went 5 for 7 on his way to 12 points and six rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Owen Mclaughlin, who dropped a double-double on ten points and 12 boards.
New Smyrna Beach smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in seven consecutive matches dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, Flagler Palm Coast was able to grind out a solid victory over Matanzas on Friday, taking the game 56-48.
Flagler Palm Coast's win came from a few key players New Smyrna Beach will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Anthony Hampton, who posted 19 points and six rebounds. The game was his sixth in a row with at least ten points. Corinthians Watson Jr was another key player, dropping a double-double on 12 points and 14 boards.
New Smyrna Beach's win bumped their record up to 6-0. As for Flagler Palm Coast, the victory got them back to even at 4-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: New Smyrna Beach has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 37.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Flagler Palm Coast struggles in that department as they've been averaging 33.4 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
New Smyrna Beach didn't have too much breathing room in their contest against Flagler Palm Coast in their previous matchup back in December of 2023, but they still walked away with a 55-50 win. Does New Smyrna Beach have another victory up their sleeve, or will Flagler Palm Coast turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
