Ridge Community is 7-1 against Lake Region since November of 2015, and they'll have a chance to extend that success on Saturday. Having just played yesterday, the Ridge Community Bolts will head out on the road to face off against the Lake Region Thunder at 6:00 p.m. on January 13th. Both teams come into the game bolstered by wins in their previous matches.
Ridge Community posted their closest victory yet this season on Friday. They came out on top in a nail-biter against Haines City and snuck past 53-51. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Ridge Community.
Eddy Hyppolite jr. continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 13 points along with five rebounds and five steals. He hasn't dropped below two steals for three straight games. Another player making a difference was Tarique Kennedy, who scored ten points along with three blocks.
Lake Region can finally bid farewell to their four-game losing streak thanks to their game on Thursday. They claimed a resounding 78-43 victory over Tenoroc at home. Given Lake Region's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 327th, while Tenoroc is ranked 751st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Lake Region's victory was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Zackery White, who scored 17 points along with six rebounds and two steals. That's the first time this season that White grabbed two or more steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Eugene Daniels, who dropped a double-double on 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Ridge Community's victory bumped their record up to 6-7. As for Lake Region, the victory got them back to even at 8-8.
Saturday's contest is shaping up to be a scrappy matchup: Ridge Community have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 18.2 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Lake Region, though, as they've been averaging only 24.6 rebounds per game. Given Ridge Community's sizeable advantage in that area, Lake Region will need to find a way to close that gap.
Ridge Community lost to Lake Region on the road by a decisive 77-63 margin in their previous matchup back in January of 2023. Can Ridge Community avenge their loss or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
