Bayside won the last time they faced Melbourne and things went their way on Friday too. The Bears walked away with a 37-28 win over the Bulldogs. The final result isn't all that surprising considering the Bears' considerable advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 49th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 268th).
Despite the loss, Melbourne saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Elena Neel posted eight points. Neel is also on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in each of the last five games she's played. Aurora Kleinsorge also deserves some recognition as she posted her first block of the season.
Bears
| 01/23/26 vs Melbourne | 37-28 |
| 01/16/26 vs Lakeland | 53-45 |
| 01/15/26 vs Viera | 51-31 |
| 01/13/26 vs Heritage | 54-49 |
| 01/08/26 vs Edgewood | 67-6 |
Bayside pushed their record up to 16-8 with the victory, which was their fifth straight at home. Those home wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 52.4 points over those games. As for Melbourne, they moved to 7-13 with that defeat, which also ended their three-game winning streak.
Looking ahead, Bayside will welcome Viera at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday. The Bears' defense better be ready for this one: the Hawks have averaged an impressive 54.3 points per game this season. As for Melbourne, they didn't take long to hit the court again: they've already played their next contest, a 62-47 victory against Merritt Island Christian on the 26th.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
