The Port Charlotte Pirates will challenge the North Fort Myers Red Knights at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Port Charlotte is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last seven games.
Port Charlotte is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They blew past Fort Myers 76-27. The Pirates' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
Port Charlotte's success was spearheaded by the efforts of Hailey Cohen, who went 9 of 15 on her way to 22 points in addition to seven rebounds and seven steals, and Jesslymar Santa, who went 9 for 19 to rack up 21 points and eight boards. What's more, Santa also posted a 50% three-point shooting accuracy, which is the highest she's posted since back in December of 2024. Another player making a difference was Maggie Parent, who went 5 for 6 en route to 10 points.
Port Charlotte was working as a unit and finished the game with 26 assists. That's the most assists they've managed all season.
Meanwhile, North Fort Myers hadn't done well against Cape Coral recently (they were 2-7 in their previous nine matchups), but they didn't let the past get in their way on Thursday. North Fort Myers skirted past Cape Coral 35-32. The Red Knights haven't had any issues with the Seahawks recently, as the game was their third consecutive victory against them.
North Fort Myers' win came from a few key players Port Charlotte will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Bianca Iten, who went 5 of 10 on her way to 12 points along with seven boards and five steals. She is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed three or more in the last five games she's played. Lily Erickson was another key player, going 5 for 11 to rack up 10 points.
North Fort Myers pushed their record up to 20-4 with the win, which was their 13th straight at home. The wins came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 26.5 points over those games. As for Port Charlotte, their victory bumped their record up to 19-7.
Port Charlotte strolled past North Fort Myers when the teams last played back in January of 2019 by a score of 50-34. Will Port Charlotte repeat their success, or does North Fort Myers have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
