The Central Rockets and the Atlantic Eagles will round out the year against one another at at 10:15 a.m. on Friday. Central knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with 55 points or more in their past five matchups -- so hopefully Atlantic likes a good challenge.
Last Thursday, Central strolled past Reagan with points to spare, taking the game 65-47.
| 12/19/24 vs Reagan | 17 |
| 12/17/24 vs Coral Reef | 26 |
| 12/12/24 vs Dade Christian | 23 |
Central's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Keri Foster, who went 7 for 11 on his way to 22 points and seven rebounds, and Marlon Gaitan, who went 5 of 8 on his way to 17 points and five assists. The game was Gaitan's third in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Willie Dye III, who posted nine points and seven rebounds.
Meanwhile, Atlantic suffered their biggest loss since December 1, 2023 last Friday. They came up short against Glades Central, falling 68-45. While losing is never fun, the Eagles can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 320th, while the Raiders are ranked 149th).
Central will have to contain James Tillman as he made an impact in Atlantic's last game. He put up 13 points and four steals. Tillman is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jabari Henry, who had ten points.
Central pushed their record up to 6-2 with the victory, which was their sixth straight at home. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 70.8 points per game. As for Atlantic, their defeat ended a five-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 4-4.
Friday's contest is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Central just can't miss this season, having nailed 49.3% of their shots per game. However, it's not like Atlantic struggles in that department as they've drained 53.3% of their field goals this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
