It may have taken overtime to finish the job, but Cypress Bay ultimately got the result they hoped for on Thursday. They managed a 50-44 victory over the Western Wildcats. This was payback for the Lightning, who suffered a 63-35 defeat the last time these two teams met.
Leading Cypress Bay to victory were Sofia Gonano and Agam Gago. Gonano went 7 for 11 on her way to 19 points and six steals, while Gago went 5 of 9 en route to 13 points along with seven steals and six assists. Those six assists gave Gago a new career-high. Another player making a difference was Ellie McKinney, who posted four points and eight boards.
They weren't the only one working in the assists department: Cypress Bay was working as a unit and finished the game with 13 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
When it comes to explaining why Western lost, don't look at Maddison Manragh. Despite the final result, she dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds. Manragh is crushing it when it comes to boards: she's pulled down at least ten every time she's taken the court this season. Brianna Jarquin was another key player, putting up nine points in addition to seven rebounds and six steals.
Lightning
| 01/16/25 vs Western | 50-44 |
| 01/07/25 vs South Plantation | 53-27 |
| 12/12/24 vs Cardinal Gibbons | 51-32 |
| 12/10/24 vs Dillard | 70-14 |
| 12/03/24 vs Coral Springs | 55-48 |
| + 10 more games |
Cypress Bay's win was their 15th straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 12-3. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 28.5 points per game. As for Western, they moved to 9-8 with that loss, which also ended their four-game winning streak.
Cypress Bay has already played their next game, a 62-29 defeat against Somerset Prep on the 17th. As for Western, they also didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next matchup, a 43-28 victory against Wellington on the 20th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
