The Booker Tornadoes were the 59-51 winner over the Riverview Sarasota Rams when they last played one another back in January of 2023, but their luck changed this time around. Booker fell just short of Riverview Sarasota by a score of 56-53. While losing is never fun, Booker can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 441st, while Riverview Sarasota is ranked 199th).
When it comes to explaining why Booker lost on Monday, one person who can't be blamed is Jovan Palavra. Despite the final result, he scored 19 points. The contest was Palavra's tenth in a row with at least ten points. Jamareon Ruffin was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Booker's loss dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Riverview Sarasota, they have been performing incredibly well recently as they've won eight of their last nine matches, which provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Booker will take on Fort Myers at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. As for Riverview Sarasota, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Cardinal Mooney at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
