Basketball Game Preview: Fort Meade Miners vs. Pahokee Blue Devils

Fort Meade hasn't had much luck against Pahokee recently, but that could start to change on Wednesday. The Fort Meade Miners will face off against the Pahokee Blue Devils. Fort Meade is coming into the matchup hot, having won their last four games.

Last Friday, Fort Meade beat Excel Christian Academy 50-43.

Multiple players turned in solid performances to lead Fort Meade to victory, but perhaps none more so than Omari Russell, who posted 17 points along with six rebounds and six steals. The game was Russell's fourth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Mekhi Berrien, who had 13 points in addition to seven boards and four steals.

Meanwhile, even if it wasn't a dominant performance, Pahokee beat Riviera Beach Preparatory and Achievement Academy 50-44 on Thursday.

Pahokee's win came from a few key players Fort Meade will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Kanyon Burton, who put up 16 points. He is on a roll when it comes to points, as he's now scored 15 or more in the last three games he's played. Herbert Crawford was another key player, putting up 12 points.

Pahokee's win bumped their record up to 5-11. As for Fort Meade, they are also on a roll lately: they've won five of their last six contests, which provided a massive bump to their 12-8 record this season.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Fort Meade has been crashing the rebounds this season, having averaged 29.2 boards per game. However, it's not like Pahokee struggles in that department as they've been averaging 28.2 rebounds. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Fort Meade took a serious blow against Pahokee when the teams last played back in January of 2017, falling 70-18. Can Fort Meade avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.