Basketball Game Preview: Middleton Tigers vs. King Lions

Two dominant guards in Laurie Julot and Heaven Pyfrom are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. A feisty cat fight is on tap when the Middleton Tigers duke it out with the King Lions at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday... King took a loss in their last match and will be looking to turn the tables on Middleton, who comes in off a win.

Last Thursday, Middleton didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Plant City, but they still walked away with a 43-37 win.

Middleton's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Thea Williams led the charge by putting up 15 points. Williams has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last nine times she's played. Zion Cooper was another key player, scoring seven points and 12 boards.

Middleton smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 15 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in 27 consecutive contests dating back to last season.

Meanwhile, King came up short against Riverview on Wednesday and fell 49-42. The Lions have struggled against the Sharks recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.

Despite the defeat, King saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Pyfrom posted 24 points and three steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Pyfrom has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Mariah Pinkney, who put up nine points and eight rebounds.

Middleton has been performing well recently as they've won six of their last eight matches, which provided a nice bump to their 11-8 record this season. As for King, their loss dropped their record down to 5-15.

Everything came up roses for Middleton against King when the teams last played back in November of 2024, as the squad secured a 46-15 victory. Does Middleton have another victory up their sleeve, or will King turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.