Sebastian River and Jensen Beach are an even 5-5 against one another since November of 2015, but not for long. The Sebastian River Sharks will face off against the Jensen Beach Falcons at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.
Sebastian River is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They were the clear victor by a 55-33 margin over Port St. Lucie. Winning may never get old, but the Sharks sure are getting used to it with their fourth in a row.
Sebastian River's win was a true team effort, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Davione Stinson, who went 6 of 10 en route to 17 points and three steals. Stinson continues to improve, besting her previous point total in each of the last three games she's played. Destiny Pickard was another key player, putting up 12 points along with five assists and three steals.
Meanwhile, Jensen Beach had already won two in a row (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 34.5 points) and they went ahead and made it three on Thursday. They simply couldn't be stopped as they easily beat the Brahmans 57-4. Given the Falcons' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 87th, while the Brahmans are ranked 421st), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Sebastian River better keep an eye on Lizzie Fitzwater. She was instrumental in Jensen Beach's win, scoring 12 points in addition to six assists and six steals. Another player making a difference was Natalie Tobiasz, who posted eight points and five rebounds.
Jensen Beach smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with ten offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in five consecutive matchups.
Jensen Beach has been performing well recently as they've won 11 of their last 13 games, which provided a nice bump to their 19-6 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 59.2 points per game. As for Sebastian River, their victory bumped their record up to 16-5.
Rebounding is likely to be a big factor in this contest: Sebastian River has been crashing the boards this season, having averaged 28.2 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Jensen Beach struggles in that department as they've been averaging 30.3 boards. With both teams battling to corral missed shots, we'll see if one team can grab an edge.
Sebastian River came up short against Jensen Beach when the teams last played back in January, falling 58-52. Can Sebastian River avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
