Spanish River and West Boca Raton are an even 5-5 against one another since January of 2015, but not for long. The Spanish River Sharks will host the West Boca Raton Bulls at 7:00 p.m. on Friday.
Spanish River came up short against Jupiter on Tuesday, falling 53-30. While losing is never fun, the Sharks can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 433rd, while the Warriors are ranked 113th).
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the best came from Gilly Meirav, who posted four points and three steals.
Even though they lost, Spanish River smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 12 offensive rebounds. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least nine offensive boards in five consecutive games.
Meanwhile, West Boca Raton had to endure a 24-game losing streak dating back to last season, but that streak is no more. They narrowly escaped with a victory as the team sidled past Atlantic 53-50. The Bulls' offense stepped up their game for this one, as that was the most points they've scored all season.
West Boca Raton's win came from a few key players Spanish River will need to keep an eye on. One of the most notable was Brianna Morgan, who went 9 for 18 on her way to 18 points in addition to six boards and four steals. She continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last four games she's played. The team also got some help courtesy of Jules Etue, who earned 14 points along with eight assists and eight rebounds.
Spanish River's defeat was their sixth straight on the road, which dropped their record down to 3-13. As for West Boca Raton, their win ended a 12-game drought on the road dating back to last season and puts them at 1-14.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Spanish River has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 31.9 rebounds per game. However, it's not like West Boca Raton struggles in that department as they've been averaging 22.8 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Spanish River didn't have too much breathing room in their match against West Boca Raton in their previous meeting back in January of 2024, but they still walked away with a 30-25 victory. Does Spanish River have another victory up their sleeve, or will West Boca Raton turn the tables on them? We'll have the answer soon enough.
