The Tavares Bulldogs were the 45-27 winner over the Lecanto Panthers when they last played one another back in February, but their luck changed this time around. Tavares received a tough blow on Thursday as they fell 45-26 to Lecanto. While losing is never fun, Tavares can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 416th, while Lecanto is ranked 130th).
Lecanto got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Bryleigh Florio out in front who scored 17 points along with 6 steals and 5 assists. That makes it two consecutive games in which Florio has scored at least 25% of Lecanto's points. Another player making a difference was Ijyana Edwards, who dropped a double-double on 20 points and 12 rebounds.
Tavares' defeat dropped their record down to 1-4. As for Lecanto, their victory bumped their record up to 5-1.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Tavares won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Evans at 6:00 p.m. on December 8th. Evans is hoping to put an end to a three-game streak of away losses. As for Lecanto, they will look to defend their home court on Friday against Crystal River at 7:30 p.m. Crystal River is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last three games.
