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Justyn King goes up for the tip-off against Spoto's Corben Martin.
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Point guard Matt Simpson drives to the basket for a contested layup.
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Mykel Oyola moves the ball up the court.
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Chris Butler attempts a shot from three-point range.
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Plant City and Spoto played a physical game.
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Jahyra Jackson dives for a loose ball against the Spartans.
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Mackenzie Steele led the Raiders with 20 points.
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Dominique Sanders fights off several Spartans for a rebound at the basket.
Plant City will head into Friday's games with momentum after beating Spoto twice at home.
The boys started the evening with a 73-56 win over the Spartans fueled by a productive second half, in which the Raiders outscored Spoto, 41-28.
Matt Simpson led Plant City with 21 points, seven rebounds, five steals and three assists. Justyn King chipped in with 20 points and 11 boards of his own, and Jadyn Strawder scored 18 points while shooting 60% from three-point range.
The girls trailed Spoto for much of their game, but not by much — a six-point difference going into halftime, a 30-24 score, was the largest lead the Spartans had at the end of any quarter. Mackenzie Steele and the Raiders fought their way to the lead near the end of the fourth quarter and managed to hold a four-point lead till the end, leaving the gym with a hard-earned 46-42 win.
Steele scored 20 points, including 12 free throws, to lead the team. Alexia Stone made five three-pointers and finished with 17 points. The frontcourt duo of Jordin Vance and Shelby VanValkenburg combined for 17 rebounds and seven steals.
