Okeechobee has been on the road for two straight, but on Tuesday they'll finally head home. They will take on the Port St. Lucie Jaguars at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. Okeechobee will have to bring their A-game into this one, as they are staring down a pretty big deficit in the MaxPreps Florida Rankings (they are ranked 331st, while Port St. Lucie is ranked 157th).
Last Friday, it was a hard-fought game, but Okeechobee had to settle for a 50-48 loss against Jensen Beach.
The losing side was boosted by Oliver Saunders, who scored 22 points along with 7 rebounds and 3 steals. He scored a full 45.8% of Okeechobee's points, the second time in a row he's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Chaynaya'ah Phillips, who scored 9 points along with 3 steals.
Meanwhile, Port St. Lucie didn't have too much trouble with Eau Gallie at home on Thursday as they won 70-54. The win made it back-to-back wins for Port St. Lucie.
Port St. Lucie's success was the result of a balanced attack that saw several players step up, but Ryan Rodriguez led the charge by scoring 30 points. The contest was Rodriguez's seventh in a row with at least ten points. Makhari Chambliss was another key contributor, scoring 21 points along with 5 rebounds.
Okeechobee's loss dropped their record down to 4-2. As for Port St. Lucie, they have yet to lose a matchup at home this season, leaving them with a 6-1 record.
Tuesday's game is shaping up to be a masterclass in shooting: Okeechobee have been dynamite from deep this season, having made 43.8% of their threes per game. However, it's not like Port St. Lucie struggles in that department as they've nailed 45.6% of theirs this season. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out. Check MaxPreps after the match for a full breakdown of the game, commentary, and other basketball content.
Okeechobee came up short against Port St. Lucie in their previous matchup back in January, falling 61-50. Thankfully for Okeechobee, TJ Schuck (who dropped a double-double on 14 points and 17 rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.
