Basketball Game Preview: Cristo Rey Philadelphia Blue Pride vs. Life Center Academy Warriors

The Cristo Rey Philadelphia Blue Pride will head out to take on the Life Center Academy Warriors at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday. Cristo Rey Philadelphia knows how to get points on the board -- the squad has finished with 55 points or more in their past eight games -- so hopefully Life Center Academy likes a good challenge.

Cristo Rey Philadelphia is headed into the matchup after thoroughly thrashing Liguori Academy: they outscored them in every quarter. Given that consistent dominance, it should come as no surprise that Cristo Rey Philadelphia blew Liguori Academy out of the water with a 63-20 final score. The Blue Pride have made a habit of sweeping their opponents off the court, having now won seven contests by 23 points or more this season.

Meanwhile, Life Center Academy came into Tuesday's game having lost six straight, but that streak is now in the rearview. They strolled past Solebury with points to spare on Tuesday, taking the game 76-59.

Cristo Rey Philadelphia better keep an eye on Gardy Etienne. He was instrumental in Life Center Academy's win, dropping a double-double on 34 points and 17 rebounds. Those 34 points gave Etienne a new career-high. Amari Stokes was another key player, going 6 of 11 on his way to 17 points and six rebounds.

Cristo Rey Philadelphia has been performing incredibly well recently as they've won seven of their last eight matchups, which provided a nice bump to their 12-4 record this season. Those victories came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 72.5 points per game. As for Life Center Academy, their win ended a three-game drought on the road and puts them at 9-11.

Everything came up roses for Cristo Rey Philadelphia against Life Center Academy when the teams last played back in December of 2024, as the team secured an 81-46 victory. The rematch might be a little tougher for Cristo Rey Philadelphia since the squad won't have the home-court advantage this time around. We'll see if the change in venue makes a difference.