Basketball Game Preview: Crystal River Pirates vs. Citrus Hurricanes

Crystal River is 8-2 against Citrus since November of 2019 and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Tuesday. The Crystal River Pirates will be playing at home against the Citrus Hurricanes at 6:00 p.m. Crystal River is coming into the contest on a three-game losing streak.

Crystal River is headed into the game out to prove that what happened against Nature Coast Tech on Friday (when they were outscored in every quarter) was just a minor bump in the road. Crystal River was dealt a 50-23 loss at the hands of Nature Coast Tech. The Pirates were down 38-18 at the end of the third quarter, and things only got worse from there.

Keyrra Ruiz

Steals

01/17/25 @ Nature Coast Tech	2
01/14/25 vs Hernando	2
01/10/25 vs Weeki Wachee	2
12/19/24 @ Lake Weir	3
12/17/24 vs Central	2

Despite their defeat, Crystal River saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Keyrra Ruiz, who posted 11 points, was perhaps the best of all. Ruiz has been hot for a while, having also posted two or more steals the last nine times she's played. Another player making a difference was Sara Amsbury, who scored four points.

Meanwhile, Citrus hadn't done well against Hernando recently (they were 1-8 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Friday. Citrus took down Hernando 49-33. The victory was a breath of fresh air for the Hurricanes as it put an end to their three-game losing streak.

Citrus' win ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-11. As for Crystal River, their loss dropped their record down to 6-9.

Crystal River skirted past Citrus 46-43 in their previous meeting back in December of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Citrus' Demi Williamson, who dropped a double-double on 18 points and 11 rebounds. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Crystal River still be able to contain Williamson? There's only one way to find out.