The Sebastian River Sharks had already won three in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 27 points), and they went ahead and made it four on Wednesday. They strolled past Melbourne with points to spare, taking the game 49-33. Given Sebastian River's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 176th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 465th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Sebastian River's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Isabella Bowen, who scored eight points along with four steals. Shyauna Shelly was another key contributor, scoring six points along with seven rebounds and five assists.
Melbourne's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of Alison Hayes, who scored six points along with three steals, and Addyson Turba who scored six points along with six rebounds and two blocks.
Melbourne struggled to get the ball back on offense and finished the game with only four offensive rebounds. They were crushed by their opponents in that department as Sebastian River pulled down 16 offensive rebounds.
Sebastian River's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 16-5. As for Melbourne, they are on a three-game losing streak that has dropped them down to 8-15.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Sebastian River will take on the Panthers at 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Heritage has been getting the ball to fall more lately as they've increased their point totals each of their last three games. As for Melbourne, they will be playing at home against the Falcons at 6:00 p.m. on Friday.
