LaBelle and Gateway Charter are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2017, but not for long. The LaBelle Cowboys/Cowgirls will host the Gateway Charter Griffins at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday. LaBelle will come in still looking for their first win of the season.
Last Tuesday, LaBelle was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap as they fell 39-35 to Babcock.
Despite the loss, LaBelle saw an underclassman step up: sophomore Aariah Johnson went 8 for 15 en route to 24 points plus seven rebounds and five steals. What's more, Johnson also posted a 53% field goal percentage, which is the highest she's posted since back in November of 2023.
Meanwhile, Gateway Charter earned a 56-43 win over North Port last Thursday. The victory made it back-to-back wins for the Griffins.
Gateway Charter's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Aleysha Berrios Gonzalez, who dropped a double-double on 13 points and ten rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Ellie Morin, who posted ten points along with three blocks.
Gateway Charter smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 14 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least eight offensive rebounds in three consecutive matches.
LaBelle's defeat ended a three-game streak of wins at home dating back to last season and dropped them to 0-3. As for Gateway Charter, they now have a winning record of 2-1.
LaBelle didn't have too much breathing room in their game against Gateway Charter in their previous meeting back in January, but they still walked away with a 36-31 win. Will LaBelle repeat their success, or does Gateway Charter have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
