The Northeast Vikings will take on the Clearwater Tornadoes at 8:00 p.m. on Thursday. Northeast knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with flashy point totals in its past five contests -- so hopefully the Tornadoes like a good challenge.
Northeast scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Wednesday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat Canterbury 82-55 on the road. Given Northeast's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 285th, while the Crusaders are ranked 689th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Northeast's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jamaries Conyers led the charge by dropping a double-double on 22 points and 12 rebounds. Conyers is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as he's now pulled down nine or more in the last seven games he's played. Another player making a difference was Luis Ruiz, who dropped a triple-double on 13 points, 13 rebounds, and ten assists.
Meanwhile, Clearwater was fully in charge on Wednesday, breezing past the Hurricanes 63-16 at home. That 47 point margin sets a new team best for Clearwater this season.
Clearwater had a senior duo take command as Nicho Simes scored 17 points along with three steals and Brooks Duncan scored 13 points along with three blocks. It was the first time this season that Duncan posted two or more blocks. Jonathan Silva was another key contributor, scoring six points.
Northeast's win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 12-10. As for Clearwater, they pushed their record up to 11-12 with that win, which was their third straight at home.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Northeast have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 22.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Clearwater struggles in that department as they've been averaging 21.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Northeast took a serious blow against the Tornadoes in their previous meeting back in December of 2019, falling 81-26. Thankfully for Northeast, Max Jones (who shot 6-for-8 from long range and dropped a double-double on 40 points and 12 rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
