The Lemon Bay Manta Rays are on the road again on Monday and plays the Estero Wildcats at 7:00 p.m. on February 5th. Keep an eye on the score for this one: both teams posted some lofty point totals in their previous games.
Last Thursday, Lemon Bay didn't have too much breathing room in their game against the Mustangs, but they still walked away with a 56-52 win. The win was just what Lemon Bay needed coming off of a 67-40 loss in their prior game.
Maya Collins was her usual excellent self, scoring 27 points along with six steals and five assists. Collins is crushing the steal category: she's posted at least two every time she's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Mackenzie Long, who scored 11 points along with eight rebounds.
Meanwhile, Estero scored the most points they've had all season to find success on Tuesday. They put the hurt on Immokalee with a sharp 64-38 win. The win made it back-to-back wins for Estero.
Estero found their leader in underclassman Amiya Lewis, who dropped a double-double on 30 points and 12 rebounds. That makes it 14 consecutive games in which Lewis has scored at least a third of Estero's points. Another player making a difference was Arlene De Jesus, who scored 11 points along with three steals.
Lemon Bay is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four contests, which provided a massive bump to their 11-12 record this season. As for Estero, their win ended a five-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-10.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Lemon Bay have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.3 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Estero struggles in that department as they've been averaging 23.7 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Lemon Bay took their win against the Wildcats when the teams last played back in February of 2023 by a conclusive 74-48. Does Lemon Bay have another victory up their sleeve, or will the Wildcats turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
