The Booker Tornadoes suffered their closest defeat yet this season on Monday. They fell just short of Riverview Sarasota by a score of 56-53. While losing is never fun, Booker can't take it too hard given the team's big disadvantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 450th, while Riverview Sarasota is ranked 193rd).
When it comes to explaining why Booker lost, one person who can't be blamed is Jovan Palavra. Despite the final result, he scored 19 points. Another player making a difference was Jamareon Ruffin, who scored 11 points.
Riverview Sarasota's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Cole Coggin, who scored 13 points along with three steals. Coggin continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played. Jeremiah Dawson was another key contributor, scoring 11 points.
Booker's defeat dropped their record down to 6-9. As for Riverview Sarasota, they are on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last nine games, which provided a nice bump to their 10-5 record this season.
Both squads are looking forward to the support of their home crowds in their upcoming games. Booker will take on Fort Myers at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Fort Myers will be looking to extend their current three-game winning streak. As for Riverview Sarasota, they will look to defend their home court on Thursday against Cardinal Mooney at 7:30 p.m. Cardinal Mooney is strutting with some offensive muscle, as they've averaged 56.9 points per game.
