Mulberry has enjoyed a two-game homestand but will soon have to dust off their road jerseys. They will face off against the Hardee Wildcats at 6:30 p.m. on Friday. Hopefully Mulberry focused on turnovers this week since the team gave up 31 on Tuesday.
Even though Mulberry has not done well against Bartow recently (they were 0-3 in their previous three matchups), they didn't let the past get in their way. Mulberry came out on top against Bartow by a score of 55-42.
Lorianys Castanon Cruz was her usual excellent self, scoring 40 points along with nine steals. That makes it nine consecutive games in which she has scored at least a third of Mulberry's points. Alana Standifer was another key contributor, scoring six points along with five rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Hardee had to endure a four-game losing streak, but that streak is no more. They walked away with a 31-19 win over Frostproof on Tuesday. The victory was just what Hardee needed coming off of a 42-21 loss in their prior game.
Hardee found their leader in underclassman Tylia Graham, who scored 18 points along with nine rebounds and eight steals. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Graham has scored all season. Another player making a difference was Rihanna Frederick, who scored nine points along with five steals.
Mulberry has been performing well recently as they've won four of their last five games, which provided a nice bump to their 7-2 record this season. Hardee's record now sits at 3-9.
This contest is shaping up to be a blowout: Mulberry hasn't had any problem running up the score this season, having only averaged 54 points per game. It's a different story for Hardee, though, as they've been averaging only 27 points per game. The only thing between Mulberry and another offensive beatdown is Hardee. Will they be able to keep them contained?
Everything came up roses for Mulberry against Hardee in their previous matchup back in December of 2023 as the squad secured a 58-24 win. With Mulberry ahead 34-11 at the half, the contest was all but over already.
