Even though the South Fork Bulldogs have not done well against the Okeechobee Brahmans recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way on Saturday. South Fork pulled ahead with a 37-36 photo finish over Okeechobee. Given South Fork's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 58th, while Okeechobee is ranked 254th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
South Fork can attribute much of their success to Imarion Stanberry, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds. Justin Beall was another key contributor, scoring eight points along with 11 rebounds.
Despite the loss, Okeechobee still got an impressive performance from Channing Delagall, who dropped a double-double on 16 points and ten rebounds. That's the first time this season that Delagall pulled down eight or more rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Corey Wilkerson, who scored eight points along with four steals and two blocks.
The victory was the fourth in a row for South Fork, bringing their record for this year to 14-4. As for Okeechobee, their defeat dropped their record down to 10-8.
Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. South Fork on the road again on Tuesday and play against Westwood at 7:00 p.m. on January 23rd. The timing isn't great for Westwood: they have been struggling with three straight losses at home, while South Fork has snatched up four consecutive wins on the road. As for Okeechobee, they will take on Bayside at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.
