Crystal River lost to Hernando back in February, but they didn't allow them the same satisfaction on Friday. In a tight game that could have gone either way, the Crystal River Pirates made off with a 41-40 win over the Hernando Leopards. The team accrued 33 points in the first half and coasted on those for the victory.
Leading Crystal River to victory were Keyrra Ruiz and Sara Amsbury. Ruiz went 6 for 9 en route to 14 points plus two steals, while Amsbury went 5 for 7 en route to 13 points plus seven rebounds. Madison Peightal was another key player, earning four points in addition to six rebounds and two blocks.
Crystal River smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in four consecutive matchups.
Several Leopards players turned in solid performances despite ultimately coming up short. Perhaps the best among those players was MaryLylah Chappell, who posted 13 points. The dominant performance also gave Chappell a new career-high in threes (three). Another player making a difference was Ayana Kincade, who posted 14 points.
Crystal River has been performing well recently as they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a massive bump to their 3-4 record this season. As for Hernando, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 1-3.
Crystal River will face off against Lecanto at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for Hernando, they will host Central at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
