Preview: Thunderbird Adventist Academy vs. Paradise Valley Christian Prep Panthers
Thunderbird Adventist Academy's road trip will continue as they head out to face the Paradise Valley Christian Prep Panthers at 7:00 p.m. on January 23rd. Thunderbird Adventist Academy knows how to get points on the board -- the team has finished with flashy point totals in its past four matchups -- so hopefully Paradise Valley Christian Prep likes a good challenge.
Thunderbird Adventist Academy stacked a fifth blowout win onto their ever-increasing hoard back in December of 2023. They took their game on the road with ease, bagging a 62-17 win over Telesis Prep. Given Thunderbird Adventist Academy's advantage in MaxPreps' Arizona basketball rankings (they are ranked 97th, while Telesis Prep is ranked 253rd), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.
Thunderbird Adventist Academy's win was the result of several impressive offensive performances. One of the most notable came from Gideon Orellana, who scored 19 points. Orellana is absolutely dominating the point category: he's posted at least 15 every time he's taken the court this season. The team also got some help courtesy of Patrick Riffel, who scored 12 points along with seven assists and six rebounds.
Meanwhile, Paradise Valley Christian Prep's recent rough patch got a bit rougher on Tuesday after their fifth straight loss. They fell just short of Brighton Charter by a score of 45-43. That's two games in a row now that Paradise Valley Christian Prep has lost by exactly two points.
Thunderbird Adventist Academy's win was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 6-1. Those victories were due in large part to their offensive dominance across that stretch, as they averaged 66.3 points per game. As for Paradise Valley Christian Prep, they have not been sharp recently, as they've lost six of their last seven matches, which put a noticeable dent in their 2-8 record this season.
Thunderbird Adventist Academy came up short against Paradise Valley Christian Prep when the teams last played back in February of 2023, falling 53-46. Can Thunderbird Adventist Academy avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
