The Sarasota Sailors will be playing in front of their home fans against the Riverview Sarasota Rams at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Sarasota came tearing into Friday's matchup with five straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 24.8 points) and they left with even more momentum. They claimed a resounding 76-17 win over Southeast at home. The contest was pretty much decided by the half, when the score had already reached 46-8.
Sarasota's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Paisley Binswanger, who scored 15 points along with 7 assists and 5 steals. The matchup was Binswanger's third in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Ghita DiNota, who scored 14 points along with 4 steals.
Meanwhile, Riverview Sarasota put another one in the bag on Thursday to keep their perfect season alive. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Lakewood Ranch 71-31 at home.
Riverview Sarasota got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Ava Sims out in front who shot 4-for-5 from deep and dropped a double-double on 16 points and 10 rebounds. Sims is absolutely dominating the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. Susan Lowther was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with 7 rebounds and 4 steals.
Sarasota's win bumped their record up to 5-1. As for Riverview Sarasota, their win was their sixth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-0.
Tuesday's contest is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Sarasota have been dynamite from deep this season, having nailed 38.7% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Riverview Sarasota struggles in that department as they've nailed 57.1% of theirs this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
Sarasota beat Riverview Sarasota 64-51 in their previous matchup back in February. Will Sarasota repeat their success, or does Riverview Sarasota have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
