Tampa Catholic lost to Lakeland back in January of 2024, but they didn't allow them the same satisfaction on Wednesday. The Tampa Catholic Crusaders enjoyed a cozy 82-67 victory over the Lakeland Dreadnaughts. Given the Crusaders' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 53rd, while the Dreadnaughts are ranked 208th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Tampa Catholic's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Skoot Donald, who went 7 for 10 en route to 15 points in addition to six assists and four steals. K.J. Morgan was another key player, almost dropping a double-double on 12 points and nine boards.
Donald wasn't the only one working in the assists department: Tampa Catholic was working as a unit and finished the game with 19 assists. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as Lakeland only posted five assists.
Despite the loss, Lakeland saw an underclassman step up: freshman Tyson Mcelhaney went 10 of 16 on his way to 23 points. As a matter of fact, that's the most points Mcelhaney has scored all season. The team also got some help courtesy of Shanard Clower, who posted 12 points and four steals.
Tampa Catholic is on a roll lately: they've won seven of their last nine matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 14-9 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 77.8 points per game. As for Lakeland, they have traveled a rocky road recently having lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 11-10 record this season.
Tampa Catholic has already played their next contest, a 76-62 victory against Jesuit on the 31st. As for Lakeland, they also wasted no time getting back out on the court and have already played their next match, a 71-50 win against Kathleen on the 31st.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
