Florence unfortunately couldn't capitalize on their home-court advantage in their season opener. They fell to the San Tan Foothills Sabercats 32-27. The Gophers were given a dose of their own medicine in this game as the Sabercats apparently hadn't forgotten their loss the last time these teams played back in February.
Florence's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Ellie Wimmer, who earned eight points in addition to four steals and two blocks. What's more, Wimmer also posted a 80% field goal percentage, which is the highest she's posted since back in November of 2023. Another player making a difference was Amya Bandilla, who scored six points in addition to eight rebounds and three steals.
Even though they lost, Florence smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 16 offensive rebounds. They easily outclassed their opponents in that department as San Tan Foothills only pulled down seven.
San Tan Foothills can attribute much of their success to Cienna Witcher, who earned 12 points along with eight steals and five rebounds. Witcher is on a roll when it comes to steals, as she's now grabbed two or more in the last five games she's played dating back to last season.
Both squads will have to hit the road in their upcoming games. Florence is headed away from home for the first time to challenge Tonopah Valley at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday. As for San Tan Foothills, they will challenge Tanque Verde at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
