Basketball Recap: Nine Straight Home Wins for Pine

Pine waltzed into their matchup on Wednesday with four straight wins... but they left with five. They came out on top against the South Fork Bulldogs by a score of 38-29. Given the Knights' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 236th, while the Bulldogs are ranked 520th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Pine's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Emily Shirk, who almost dropped a double-double on nine points and nine boards. Shirk is on a roll when it comes to rebounds, as she's now pulled down eight or more in the last 23 games she's played dating back to last season. Amber Dunlap was another key player, putting up 13 points along with eight rebounds and three steals.

Pine smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 11 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least 11 offensive boards in nine consecutive contests dating back to last season.

South Fork's defeat came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Molly Nicholas, who posted eight points in addition to five boards and four steals. The team also got some help courtesy of Kylee Brooks, who had seven points and five steals.

Pine's victory was their ninth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 7-1. Those victories came thanks to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 25.0 points per game. As for South Fork, they are on a 13-game losing streak (dating back to last season) that has dropped them down to 0-6.

Both teams are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Pine will get to enjoy the win for a while: their next game is against Port St. Lucie at 4:00 p.m. on January 7, 2025. After both having extra time off, South Fork and Jensen Beach will shake off the cobwebs and square off against one another at 7:00 p.m. on January 7, 2025.