The Gateway Eagles came tearing into Thursday's match with three straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 8.3 points) and they left with even more momentum. They walked away with an 81-68 win over Island Coast. Given Gateway's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 102nd, while Island Coast is ranked 555th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Gateway's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Tavian Cook, who scored 25 points along with four steals. Cook is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last nine games he's played. Andrew Leopold was another key contributor, scoring 24 points along with three steals.
Despite the loss, Island Coast still got an impressive performance from Izaiah Bacchus, who scored 26 points along with six rebounds and four steals. Bacchus continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jose Bido, who scored 16 points along with five assists.
Gateway's win was their 13th straight at home, which pushed their record up to 13-2. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 78.2 points per game. As for Island Coast, their loss ended a three-game streak of away wins and brought them to 7-10.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Gateway won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Bonita Springs at 7:30 p.m. on January 19th. Bonita Springs comes in still looking for their first win of the season. Island Coast won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Ida Baker at 7:30 p.m. on January 19th. Ida Baker is coming into the game on a three-game losing streak.
