Basketball Game Preview: Northview Academy Cougars vs. Jackson South Side Hawks

The Northview Academy Cougars will square off against the Jackson South Side Hawks at 2:15 p.m. on Thursday. Both teams are coming into the game red-hot, with Northview Academy sitting on four straight victories and Jackson South Side on 22.

If Northview Academy beats Jackson South Side with 53 points on Thursday, it's going to be the team's new lucky number: they've won their past two matchups with that exact score. Northview Academy snuck past Tennessee with a 53-48 win on Saturday. Given the Cougars' advantage in MaxPreps' Tennessee basketball rankings (they are ranked 11th, while the Vikings are ranked 132nd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Meanwhile, a well-balanced attack led Jackson South Side over Station Camp in every quarter on their way to victory on Saturday. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Jackson South Side blew Station Camp out of the water with a 73-37 final score. The Hawks have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won 23 contests by 22 points or more this season.

Northview Academy better keep an eye on Jaidynn Askins. She was instrumental in Jackson South Side's win, as she made all 11 shots she took racking up 22 points and seven rebounds. The game was Askins' fifth in a row with at least 15 points. Ri'Kiya Mitchell was another key player, shooting 75% from the field on her way to 17 points in addition to six boards and three steals.

Jackson South Side smashed the offensive glass and finished the game with 13 offensive boards. That strong performance was nothing new for the team: they've now pulled down at least ten offensive rebounds in 22 consecutive matchups.

Northview Academy's victory was their eighth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 31-4. The wins came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 61.4 points over those games. As for Jackson South Side, their record now sits at 28-2.