Two dominant forwards in Micah Hannah and Mazaiah Marc are getting ready to go toe-to-toe. The Ocoee Knights will take on the Apopka Blue Darters at 6:00 p.m. on Friday. Both teams come into the match bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Two teams were on the hunt for playoff glory, but only Ocoee walked away with it. They blew past the Patriots 49-14 on the road on Wednesday. Ocoee has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 13 games by 23 points or more this season.
Ocoee's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Reese Bellamy led the charge by scoring six points along with nine rebounds and five steals. Bellamy has been hot recently, having posted nine or more rebounds the last three times she's played. Another player making a difference was Paris Triplett, who scored eight points along with ten rebounds and three steals.
Meanwhile, Apopka came into Wednesday's matchup having lost five straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They walked away with a 46-36 victory over East Ridge on Wednesday. The win was just what Apopka needed coming off of a 57-20 loss in their prior contest.
Aina Valenzuela and Marc were among the main playmakers for Apopka as the former scored nine points along with three steals and two blocks and the latter dropped a double-double on 26 points and 13 rebounds. That makes it six consecutive games in which Marc has scored at least a third of Apopka's points.
Ocoee is on a roll lately: they've won 15 of their last 17 contests, which provided a nice bump to their 19-5 record this season. As for Apopka, their victory bumped their record up to 9-14.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Ocoee have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Apopka struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.6 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Everything came up roses for Ocoee against Apopka when the teams last played back in November of 2023 as the squad secured a 55-17 victory. Does Ocoee have another victory up their sleeve, or will Apopka turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
