Basketball Game Preview: Citrus Hurricanes vs. Crystal River Pirates

The Citrus Hurricanes will head out on the road to take on the Crystal River Pirates at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Citrus is strutting in with some offensive muscle as they've averaged 60.5 points per game this season.

Citrus lost 84-61 to Pasco on Wednesday.

Despite the defeat, Citrus had strong showings from Ashton Jenkins, who went 8 of 12 on his way to 17 points along with four steals and three blocks, and Landon Hensley, who posted 21 points in addition to six assists and four steals. The dominant performance gave Jenkins a new career-high in steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Walker Tyler, who had six points along with nine boards and four blocks.

Meanwhile, Crystal River played a tough match on Tuesday in which they were outscored in every quarter. They came up short against Lecanto, falling 80-54. The loss continues a trend for the Pirates in their matchups with the Panthers: they've now lost nine in a row.

Citrus will need focus on slowing down Gavin Eddings, one of several Crystal River players who made an impact when they last played. He put up 13 points and five rebounds. The team also got some help courtesy of Ej Jenkins, who went 5 of 10 on his way to 14 points.

Citrus' defeat was their fifth straight at home dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 1-6. As for Crystal River, they now have a losing record at 3-4.

Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Citrus has been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 31.7 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Crystal River struggles in that department as they've been averaging 27.3 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.

Citrus came up short against Crystal River when the teams last played back in January, falling 60-50. Can Citrus avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.