The St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders had already proven themselves in the regular season, and didn't miss a beat now that it's playoff time. They walked away with a 56-46 win over Dillard on Tuesday. Given St. Thomas Aquinas' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 18th, while Dillard is ranked 229th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
St. Thomas Aquinas got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Justus-Dylan Herbert out in front who almost dropped a double-double on 12 points and nine rebounds. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Herbert has scored all season. Drake (DJ) Sandi was another key contributor, scoring 15 points.
St. Thomas Aquinas is on a roll lately: they've won three of their last four games, which lines up perfectly with their 18-6 record this season. As for Dillard, their defeat ended a five-game streak of away wins and brought them to 9-9.
St. Thomas Aquinas will face off against Plantation at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. St. Thomas Aquinas is coming into the contest with six straight victories on the road, meaning Plantation will have to defend against a team hungry for a win. Dillard does not have any more games scheduled as of now.
