Preview: Pineapple Cove Classical Academy Patriots vs. Babcock Trailblazers
The Pineapple Cove Classical Academy Patriots will face off against the Babcock Trailblazers at 4:00 p.m. on Friday. The squads are rolling into the game with opposing streaks: Pineapple Cove Classical Academy has struggled recently with nine defeats in a row, while Babcock will arrive with five straight victories.
Last Tuesday, Pineapple Cove Classical Academy was just a bucket shy of victory and fell 51-50 to St. Edward's.
Despite the defeat, Pineapple Cove Classical Academy saw an underclassman step up: Michael Barna dropped a double-double on 13 points and 15 rebounds. Barna is on a roll when it comes to steals, as he's now grabbed two or more in the last three games he's played. Matthew Barna was another key contributor, scoring six points along with ten rebounds and four blocks.
Meanwhile, Babcock was able to grind out a solid victory over The Classical Academy of Sarasota on Tuesday, taking the game 55-45.
Babcock's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Jameson Habing, who scored nine points along with 11 rebounds and five blocks. Another player making a difference was Finn Habing, who scored 13 points.
Pineapple Cove Classical Academy bumped their record down to 3-14 with that defeat, which was their fifth straight on the road. As for Babcock, their win ended a four-game drought on the road and puts them at 6-9.
Friday's match is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Pineapple Cove Classical Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 21.3 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Babcock, though, as they've been averaging only 25.9 rebounds per game. Given Pineapple Cove Classical Academy's sizeable advantage in that area, Babcock will need to find a way to close that gap. Check MaxPreps after the action for a full breakdown of the game and more basketball content.
