Preview: Temple Christian Academy vs. Yulee Hornets
After two games on the road, Temple Christian Academy is heading back home. They will finish 2023 at home by hosting the Yulee Hornets at 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Temple Christian Academy knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past five matchups -- so hopefully Yulee likes a good challenge.
Temple Christian Academy has made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won five matchups by 22 points or more this season. They blew past First Coast Christian 77-55. Given Temple Christian Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' Florida basketball rankings (they are ranked 332nd, while First Coast Christian is ranked 666th), the result last Friday wasn't entirely unexpected.
Temple Christian Academy's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Cameron Carpenter, who dropped a double-double on 23 points and 14 rebounds. The matchup was Carpenter's sixth in a row with at least ten points. The team also got some help courtesy of Micah Dixon, who dropped a double-double on 19 points and ten rebounds.
Meanwhile, Yulee came up short against Fernandina Beach on Friday and fell 41-30. The result shouldn't come as a shock considering that's the fewest points Yulee has scored all season.
Despite the defeat, Yulee saw an underclassman step up: Carter Kirchner scored nine points. Kirchner continues to roll, besting his previous point total in each of the last three games he's played.
Temple Christian Academy pushed their record up to 5-1 with that victory, which was their fourth straight on the road dating back to last season. Those good results were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 75.0 points per game. As for Yulee, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost three of their last four games, which put a noticeable dent in their 6-4 record this season.
This contest is one where the number of possessions is likely to be a big factor: Temple Christian Academy have been smashing the glass this season, having averaged 65.8 rebounds per game. However, it's not like Yulee struggles in that department as they've been averaging only 31.3 rebounds per game. Given these competing strengths, it'll be interesting to see how their clash plays out.
Temple Christian Academy was taken down by Yulee 74-32 in their previous meeting back in December of 2021. Thankfully for Temple Christian Academy, Zach Johnson (who scored ten points along with nine rebounds) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? Check MaxPreps.com after the match to find out.
