The Pine Ridge Panthers will be playing in front of their home fans against the Tavares Bulldogs at 7:30 p.m. on Friday. Pine Ridge knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past eight matches -- so hopefully Tavares likes a good challenge.
Pine Ridge was handed a two-point defeat in their last match, but they sure didn't let that happen against Crescent City on Wednesday. Pine Ridge blew past Crescent City 67-44. For those keeping track at home, that's the biggest victory Pine Ridge has posted since December 6, 2023.
Elijah Laird continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines, scoring 23 points along with nine rebounds. He has been hot recently, having posted 15 or more points the last eight times he's played. Another player making a difference was Jyles Newman, who scored 13 points.
Meanwhile, Tavares was within striking distance but couldn't close the gap on Tuesday as they fell 57-53 to Trinity Christian Academy.
Pine Ridge's win bumped their record up to 6-10. As for Tavares, they have been struggling recently, as they've lost seven of their last eight matchups, which put a noticeable dent in their 4-11 record this season.
Pine Ridge took their victory against Tavares when the teams last played back in December of 2023 by a conclusive 60-39. Will Pine Ridge repeat their success, or does Tavares have a new game plan this time around? We'll find out soon enough.
