If the Williston Red Devils were feeling good off their 65-22 takedown of the Keystone Heights Indians on Thursday, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. Williston took a 69-52 bruising from Tocoi Creek on Friday. While losing is never fun, Williston can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 322nd, while Tocoi Creek is ranked 106th).
Williston's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Delecia Dallas, who scored 17 points. Dallas continues to roll, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Another player making a difference was Natreana Akanni , who scored six points along with 11 rebounds.
Even though they lost, Williston were smashing the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Tocoi Creek only pulled down 21 offensive rebounds.
Gabi Iturralde was her usual excellent self, dropping a double-double on 33 points and ten assists for Tocoi Creek. Iturralde hasn't dropped below two steals for six straight games. Mckenzie Mabry was another key contributor, scoring 12 points along with five rebounds.
Williston has traveled a rocky road recently, as they've lost three of their last four matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 5-6 record this season. As for Tocoi Creek, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 12-3.
Williston and Gainesville will face off at 7:00 p.m. on January 2nd without much rest after finishing up games yesterday. As for Tocoi Creek, they will be playing in front of their home fans against Ponte Vedra at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.
