The Dunnellon Tigers will face off against the New Smyrna Beach Barracudas at 12:30 p.m. on Monday. Given that the pair suffered a loss in their last game, they both have a little extra motivation heading into this match.
After a string of four wins, Dunnellon's good fortune finally ran out on Saturday. They took a 60-55 hit to the loss column at the hands of Orange Park. Having run the score up that high, both teams probably have some extra defensive drills coming up.
Bode Burns put forth a good effort for the losing side as he dropped a double-double on 13 points and 11 rebounds. Another player making a difference was A'zyron Johnson, who scored nine points.
Meanwhile, New Smyrna Beach came up short against Spruce Creek on Saturday and fell 54-42. The loss was a bit of a surprise, as New Smyrna Beach came into the matchup with a sizable advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 216th, while Spruce Creek is ranked 440th).
Dunnellon's loss dropped their record down to 8-7. As for New Smyrna Beach, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-4 record this season.
Dunnellon came up short against New Smyrna Beach in their previous meeting back in December of 2019, falling 66-54. Can Dunnellon avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
