Lecanto is 8-2 against Gulf since November of 2016, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Monday. The Lecanto Panthers will be playing at home against the Gulf Buccaneers at 7:30 p.m. Hopefully Lecanto is not getting complacent, as they presents a significant challenge as they come into the match much higher ranked than Gulf in Florida (Lecanto is ranked 92nd, while Gulf is ranked 617th).
Lecanto has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won three contests by 37 points or more this season. They took their matchup on the road on Friday with ease, bagging a 71-32 victory over Nature Coast Tech.
Lecanto found their leader in underclassman Jt Tipton, who scored 23 points. That makes it six consecutive games in which Tipton has scored at least 25% of Lecanto's points. Jaymison Conrad was another key contributor, scoring 14 points along with 7 rebounds.
Meanwhile, this season hasn't been kind to Gulf, who are still winless after their fourth match. They ended up on the wrong side of a tough 62-40 walloping at the hands of Fivay on Thursday.
Despite their defeat, Gulf saw several players rise to the challenge and make noteworthy plays. Jeremiah Long, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 11 rebounds, was perhaps the best of all. The game was Long's fourth in a row with at least ten points. Another player making a difference was Jaydn Wood, who scored 9 points.
The losses dropped Lecanto to 4-2 and Nature Coast Tech to 2-2.
Keep an eye on the arc in Monday's match: Lecanto have made nailing deep shots look easy this year this season, having only averaged 7.7 threes per game. It's a different story for Gulf, though, as they've been averaging only 2.8 per game. Given Lecanto's sizeable advantage in that area, Gulf will need to find a way to close that gap. Check back here after the action for a full breakdown and analysis of the contest.
Everything came up roses for Lecanto against Gulf when the teams last played back in January as the squad secured a 89-46 win. Will Lecanto repeat their success, or does Gulf have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
