The East Lake Eagles won the last time they faced the Land O' Lakes Gators, and things went their way on Monday too. East Lake strolled past Land O' Lakes with points to spare, taking the game 62-44. Given East Lake's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 129th, while Land O' Lakes is ranked 421st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
East Lake's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Jeremiah Cooper led the charge by scoring 12 points along with three steals. Another player making a difference was Brody Church, who scored 15 points.
Land O' Lakes' loss came despite strong showings from Jordan Massie and Maxwell Moore. Massie scored 18 points along with seven rebounds and two steals, while Moore scored 16 points. Massie is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. Jayden Todd was another key contributor, scoring eight points.
East Lake is on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six matches, which provided a nice bump to their 14-6 record this season. As for Land O' Lakes, they are on a seven-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 6-14.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. East Lake won't have much time to rest: their next game is against Largo at 7:45 p.m. on January 23rd. Largo knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past six games -- so hopefully East Lake likes a good challenge. As for Land O' Lakes, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Springstead at 8:00 p.m. on Wednesday.