Sunlake and Land O' Lakes are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2018, but not for long. The Sunlake Seahawks will take on the Land O' Lakes Gators at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Given that the two teams suffered a loss in their last games, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
Sunlake is probably headed into the contest with a chip on their shoulder considering Neumann just ended the team's three-game winning streak on Saturday. They were just a bucket shy of victory and fell 33-32 to the Celtics. The game marked the Seahawks' lowest-scoring match so far this season.
Despite their defeat, Sunlake saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Ava Micikas, who posted seven points, was perhaps the best of all. Kaycie Hyde was another key player, putting up four points and six steals.
Meanwhile, Land O' Lakes was not able to break out of their rough patch on Saturday as the team picked up their third straight loss. They were dealt a 66-31 defeat at the hands of Lecanto. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest loss the Gators have suffered since February 2, 2024.
Despite the defeat, Land O' Lakes saw an underclassman step up: freshman Jessi Saffold dropped a double-double on 14 points and ten steals. That was a full 45.2% of Land O' Lakes' points, marking the third time in a row she's put up more than a third of the team's points.
Sunlake's loss dropped their record down to 9-5. As for Land O' Lakes, they now have a losing record at 7-8.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Sunlake has crashing the boards this season, having averaged 29.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Land O' Lakes struggles in that department as they've been averaging 34.7 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Sunlake came up short against Land O' Lakes when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 58-51. Thankfully for Sunlake, Lily Meier (who had 26 points along with six rebounds and four steals) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
