Preview: Crooms Academy Panthers vs. Orlando Science Orcas
The Crooms Academy Panthers will stay at home for another game and welcome the Orlando Science Orcas at 7:00 p.m. on January 22nd. The pair are out to turn their luck around after having lost tight contests in their previous games.
Crooms Academy pushed their score all the way to 56 on Friday, but even that wasn't enough to win. They fell just short of First Baptist Christian Academy by a score of 59-56. For those keeping track at home, that's the closest loss Crooms Academy has suffered since November 28, 2023.
Despite the loss, Crooms Academy had strong showings from Jayden Aristile, who scored 19 points along with nine rebounds and four steals, and D'Elio Cestero, who scored 16 points along with six rebounds and five assists. The team also got some help courtesy of Julian Gill, who scored four points.
Meanwhile, Orlando Science's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Friday after their sixth straight loss. They fell just short of Ridgeview Global Studies Academy by a score of 48-46.
Even though the team lost, they still had their share of impressive performances. One of the most dominant came from Myles Gipson, who scored eight points along with five assists and three steals. Christian Harris was another key contributor, dropping a double-double on 11 points and ten rebounds.
Crooms Academy has been struggling recently, as they've lost three of their last four contests, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-8 record this season. As for Orlando Science, their loss was their sixth straight on the road, which bumped their record down to 4-10.
Monday's match is shaping up to be a scrappy match: Crooms Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having only averaged 37.1 rebounds per game. It's a different story for Orlando Science, though, as they've been averaging only 23.4 rebounds per game. Given Crooms Academy's sizeable advantage in that area, Orlando Science will need to find a way to close that gap.
Everything came up roses for Crooms Academy against Orlando Science in their previous meeting on Wednesday as the team secured a 54-26 victory. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Gipson, who scored 14 points. Now that he's got a second chance to win this matchup, will Crooms Academy still be able to contain him? There's only one way to find out.
