If the Citrus Hurricanes were riding high off their 46-17 takedown of the Central Bears back in December of 2023, their most recent game may have dampened their spirits a bit. Citrus took a 64-54 hit to the loss column at the hands of Ocala Christian on Thursday. Citrus found out winning isn't easy when your three-point shooting is a whole 21% worse than the opposition.
Despite the defeat, Citrus saw an underclassman step up: Demi Williamson dropped a double-double on 30 points and 11 rebounds. That was a full 55.6% of Citrus' points, marking the tenth time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. The team also got some help courtesy of Kendyl Hunnicutt, who scored 11 points along with eight rebounds and two steals.
Even though they lost, Citrus smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 24 offensive rebounds. That's the most offensive rebounds they've managed all season.
Ocala Christian got their victory on the backs of several key players, but it was Charlotte Culver out in front who scored 26 points along with two steals. That makes it five consecutive games in which Culver has scored at least a third of Ocala Christian's points. Brianna Ray was another key contributor, scoring 14 points.
Citrus bumped their record down to 1-9 with that loss, which was their seventh straight at home dating back to last season. Those losses could be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they only averaged 23.7 points per game. As for Ocala Christian, their win bumped their record up to 7-4.
Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Citrus won't have much time to rest: their next match is against Hernando at 6:30 p.m. on January 12th. Ocala Christian won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Bronson at 6:00 p.m. on January 12th. Bronson is still on the hunt for that elusive first 'W'.
