The Lafayette Hornets and the Chiefland Indians will face off at 6:30 p.m. on Friday without much rest having both just played. Lafayette will be strutting in after a victory while Chiefland will be coming in after a loss.
Chiefland better have a healthy lead at halftime, because if last week is any indication, that's when Lafayette really get things going. Lafayette blew past Dixie County 51-27 on Thursday. The Hornets have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matches by 23 points or more this season.
Sophia Kendrick
| 01/09/25 @ Dixie County | 16 |
| 12/15/23 vs Branford | 16 |
| 01/07/25 vs Fort White | 15 |
| 12/17/24 vs Dixie County | 15 |
| 12/12/24 @ Branford | 14 |
Lafayette found their leader in sophomore Sophia Kendrick, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and 16 rebounds. That's the most rebounds Kendrick has posted since back in January of 2024. The team also got some help courtesy of Tristan Campbell, who went 5 of 9 on her way to 11 points.
Lafayette smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive boards in 23 consecutive games dating back to last season.
Meanwhile, after a string of seven wins, Chiefland's good fortune finally ran out on Thursday. They took a 53-41 hit to the loss column at the hands of Trenton.
Despite the defeat, Chiefland saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Nyasia Bivins dropped a double-double on 21 points and 12 boards. Bivins' evening made it nine games in a row in which she has scored at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Brianna Bell, who posted seven points along with seven boards and five steals.
Chiefland's loss ended a nine-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 11-2. As for Lafayette, their win bumped their record up to 7-4.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Lafayette has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 30.9 boards per game. However, it's not like Chiefland struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.4 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Lafayette and Chiefland were neck-and-neck in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, but Lafayette came up empty-handed after a 46-45 defeat. Can Lafayette avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
