The Crystal River Pirates will head out on the road to square off against the Hernando Leopards at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Crystal River will be strutting in after a victory while Hernando will be coming in after a defeat.
Crystal River took a loss when they played away from home on Monday, but their home fans gave them all the motivation they needed on Tuesday. They strolled past Nature Coast Tech with points to spare, taking the game 54-39. The Pirates' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Crystal River's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Sara Amsbury, who almost dropped a double-double on 14 points and nine rebounds. Another player making a difference was Madison Peightal, who went 6 for 8 en route to 12 points plus five rebounds and three blocks.
Crystal River smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive rebounds in three consecutive matches.
Meanwhile, Hernando ended up a good deal behind Weeki Wachee two weeks ago and lost 39-20. The loss continues a trend for the Leopards in their matchups with the Hornets: they've now lost seven in a row.
Despite the defeat, Hernando saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Aislin Ruppe scored seven points.
Hernando now has a losing record at 1-2. As for Crystal River, their record now sits at 2-4.
Crystal River was taken down by Hernando 60-19 when the teams last played back in February. Thankfully for Crystal River, Kayla Holloman (who earned 20 points) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
