Basketball Game Preview: North Miami Pioneers vs. Lourdes Academy

North Miami hasn't had much luck against Lourdes Academy recently, but that could start to change on Saturday. The North Miami Pioneers will take on Lourdes Academy. Both squads will be entering this one on the heels of a big victory.

North Miami is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Thursday. They blew past Norland 68-29. Given the Pioneers' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 122nd, while the Vikings are ranked 307th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, Lourdes Academy got the win against TERRA Environmental on Thursday by a conclusive 53-33. The victory made it back-to-back wins for Lourdes Academy.

North Miami better keep an eye on Sophia Sandoval. She was instrumental in Lourdes Academy's win, putting up 29 points and five steals. That makes it 19 consecutive games in which Sandoval has scored at least a third of Lourdes Academy's points. Another player making a difference was Ava Feenane, who posted ten points and eight rebounds.

North Miami's record now sits at 16-8. As for Lourdes Academy, their record now sits at 11-9.

North Miami came up short against Lourdes Academy when the teams last played back in January of 2024, falling 60-50. Can North Miami avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.