Island Coast is 8-2 against North Fort Myers since December of 2017, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. Both teams will face off at 6:00 p.m. on January 16th without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this matchup.
Island Coast suffered their biggest loss yet this season on Friday. They were dealt a 69-26 loss at the hands of Cypress Lake. Island Coast was in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 39-12.
Despite their defeat, Island Coast saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Aubrey Curry, who scored 15 points along with two steals, was perhaps the best of all. Curry continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Samarrah Desir was another key contributor, scoring seven points along with three steals.
Meanwhile, North Fort Myers was beaten by Canterbury 64-27 on Friday. While losing is never fun, North Fort Myers can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 447th, while Canterbury is ranked 181st).
North Fort Myers' loss shouldn't obscure the performances of Bianca Iten, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds and two steals, and Lily Erickson who scored six points. Iten continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played.
Island Coast has not been sharp recently, as they've lost six of their last eight games, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-8 record this season. As for North Fort Myers, their loss dropped their record down to 5-8.
Tuesday's game will pit two of the most dominant players against one another: Curry and Iten. Curry has been dynamite this season: she has averaged 14.5 points and 1.1 steals. For her part, Iten has averaged 11.3 points and 2.8 steals.
Everything came up roses for Island Coast against North Fort Myers in their previous meeting back in January of 2023 as the team secured a 61-25 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Island Coast since the team won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.
