With a playoff win on the line, Tampa Catholic rose to the challenge on Wednesday. They secured a 62-57 W over the Windermere Prep Lakers. Given the Crusaders' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 27th, while the Lakers are ranked 105th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Willie Piggott
| 01/18/25 vs Wiregrass Ranch | 29 |
| 01/15/25 vs George Jenkins | 29 |
| 01/03/25 vs Windermere | 29 |
| 02/12/25 vs Windermere Prep | 28 |
| 12/27/24 vs Union Catholic | 27 |
| + 24 more games |
Tampa Catholic's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Willie Piggott, who went 9-for-13 to rack up 28 points along with five rebounds and three steals. Piggott has become a key player for Tampa Catholic: the team is 15-3 when he posts at least 15 points, but 5-6 otherwise. Isaiah Campbell-Finch was another key player, going 7-for-12 en route to 19 points and five assists.
Windermere Prep's loss came despite a true team effort with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Brandon Bass Jr., who dropped a double-double with 17 points and ten boards. Bass Jr.'s evening made it six games in a row in which he has scored at least 16 points. Another player making a difference was Malachi Martis, who went 6-for-12 on his way to 14 points in addition to eight rebounds and three blocks.
Tampa Catholic has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won nine of their last ten matchups. That's provided a nice bump to their 20-9 record this season. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 75.3 points over those games. Windermere Prep is on a six-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 13-14.
Tampa Catholic has already played their next contest, an 82-64 win against Lake Highland Prep on the 17th. Windermere Prep does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
